[symple_googlemap title=”” location=”11300 block of Delano Street, North Hollywood, CA” height=”300″ zoom=”13″]
Updated at 5:28 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2015
A fire that began with an electrical problem and an aging Christmas tree ripped through a North Hollywood home Tuesday, displacing four residents and injuring three firefighters.
The fire in the single-family home in the 11300 block of Delano Street was reported around 3:50 a.m. and was knocked down in about 30 minutes, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Damage was estimated at $160,000 to the structure and $80,000 to the contents.
Three firefighters were taken to a hospital, where they were treated for minor to moderate burns and released, LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey said.
City officials said the blaze should serve as a reminder to people to dispose of their drying-out Christmas trees.
“A Christmas tree takes years to grow, but only seven seconds to light into a burning torch that can destroy lives,” LAPD Chief Ralph Terrazas said.
Mayor Eric Garcetti said Los Angeles residents should take advantage of the city’s tree-recycling program.
“You can cut up your tree right now, as soon as you hear this, and put it in your green bin, or when your green bin is picked up, put it next to the green bin and our Bureau of Sanitation will pick up the tree for you at your home,” Garcetti said.
The mayor also said the city was extending its tree-recycling program at 13 LAFD stations.
—City News Service