Los Angeles Fire Department officials investigating Wednesday's fatal explosion in Westchester are looking into several potential causes, including the presence of gas and the possibility that a firefighter's power saw ignited the blast that killed one firefighter and critically injured another, authorities said Thursday.
"Was it an electrical issue, was it a methane issue, was it something that sparked? All that takes looking at evidence to determine," said Los Angeles Fire Capt. Armando Hogan. "We can't rule anything out yet, and we have to rule out the other possible causes before we can say definitively where the problem lies."
While fire investigators remained on the scene late Thursday, city firefighters and friends mourned the death of firefighter Brent A. Lovrien, 35, and sent get-well cards to Engineer Anthony J. Guzman, 48, who was seriously injured in the blast.
Security guards from the Hilton Los Angeles Airport Hotel across the street from Fire Station 95 dropped off two flower arrangements addressed to Guzman and the firefighters as a U.S. flag outside flew at half staff.
Graham Taylor, the hotel's director of safety and security, said the group knew the two firefighters, who often responded to calls at the hotel.
"We're like a big extended family," Taylor said.
Investigators have talked by phone with the state fire marshal and governor's offices, and the governor sent a representative to Los Angeles. A forensic investigator is also coming from Maryland.
As investigators searched for the cause of the blast Thursday, witnesses recounted hearing three distinct explosions, the last one being the fatal one, shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday.
Charles Mordi said he watched as firefighters responded to a report of smoke coming from manhole covers. He then watched firefighters struggling to open the door to an electrical vault next to the Water and Power Community Credit Union in the 8800 block of Sepulveda Boulevard.
Mordi, who owns an employment testing business above the credit union, said he called 911 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.
