Firefighter used power saw before blast, witness says
A business owner gives an account of Wednesday's explosion in Westchester that killed firefighter Brent Lovrien.
Los Angeles Fire Department officials investigating Wednesday's fatal explosion in Westchester are looking into several possible causes, including whether a power saw being used by their personnel may have ignited the blast that killed one firefighter and critically injured another, authorities said this morning.
Additionally, officials are exploring whether a gas or electrical malfunction of some kind caused the blast.
"We can't rule anything out yet and we have to rule out the other possible causes before we can say definitively say where the problem lies," said Los Angeles City Fire Capt. Armando Hogan.
An eyewitness to the blast said today that he watched as firefighters responding to a report of smoke from a possible fire struggled to open the door to an electrical utility vault next to the Water and Power Community Credit Union in the 8800 block of Sepulveda Boulevard.
Charles Mordi, who owns an employment testing lab business above the credit union, said he called 911 on Wednesday after hearing an explosion up the street. He also saw smoke coming from the utility room.
Within minutes of his call, he said, a firefighter arrived and tried to open the door to the utility room, which was locked. Moments later an engine arrived with the two firefighters. They also tried without success to open the door. One went to the truck and returned with a yellow circular saw.
"As soon he turned it on and put it by the door, that was when the explosion occurred," said Mordi, who said it was immediately clear that the firefighter's injuries were significant. "It threw him almost six feet from where he was standing."
Firefighter Brent A. Lovrien, 35, a 10-year veteran of the department, was injured in the blast and died after he was taken to Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center. City Fire Engineer Anthony J. Guzman, 48, an 18-year veteran, was seriously injured; he was taken to UCLA Medical Center in Westwood with multiple fractures and facial trauma, fire officials said in a statement. He was in serious but stable condition late Wednesday following surgery.
Hogan said investigators had not centered on any one theory for the explosion and are still considering about half a dozen possible causes, from electrical problems to natural or methane gas.
