On Monday, October 9, 2006 at 2:17 AM, fourteen Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, three LAFD Rescue Ambulances, one Arson Unit, one Urban Search and Rescue Unit, one Hazardous Materials Squad, two EMS Battalion Captains, three Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams and one Division Chief Officer Command Team, a total of 95 LAFD personnel under the direction of Battalion Chief Dennis Waters responded to a Greater Alarm Structure Fire at 613 South Gayley Avenue in Westwood.
Firefighters arrived quickly to discover smoke showing from the third floor of a vacant three story fraternity house southwest of the UCLA campus.
Forcing access into the abandoned building and aided by strategic vertical ventilation performed by rooftop colleagues, Firefighters extended handlines to do battle with intense flames on the top floor of the 8100 square foot building.
The fire was confined to the uppermost level of the unoccupied 71 year-old structure and extinguished in just 27 minutes.
There were no injuries.
Structural loss from the fire is estimated at $50,000. The cause of this early morning blaze remains under investigation.