Four Los Angeles County firefighters were injured when they fell through a roof while battling a three-alarm fire at an abandoned casino in Cudahy, and one remained hospitalized Friday with second- and third- degree burns.
The fire was reported about 11:40 p.m. Thursday at the former Club Caribe casino, which closed about five years ago, said county fire Inspector Randall Wright. About 75 firefighters were dispatched to the vacant structure in the 7600 block of South Atlantic Avenue.
The four firefighters were hurt while on the roof of the single-story structure, cutting holes to allow heat and smoke to ventilate from the burning building, Wright said.
“The roof started to collapse, and the firefighters fell through,” Wright said. The roof is about 25 feet above ground, he said.
Fire commanders declared a “firefighter emergency” and a Rapid Intervention Crew that was at the scene assisted in removing the four firefighters from the burning building, Wright said.
The RIC team was assigned to be on standby for just such an emergency situation during the third-alarm response, and were not involved in the firefighting effort when their colleagues fell through the roof, Wright said.
After the roof collapse, firefighters went into a “defensive” mode, pouring water on the structure from the outside of the building. It took several hours to extinguish the flames.
Three firefighters were treated for minor injuries at a hospital and released. The fourth firefighter was treated for second- and third-degree burns, and remained hospitalized this afternoon, Wright said.
The cause of the fire was under investigation. A damage estimate was not immediately available.
—Staff and wire reports