By John Antczak
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Seven of nine firefighters injured when a truck’s fuel tank exploded have been released from a hospital, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman said Friday.
The two firefighters who were most seriously injured remained hospitalized, Capt. Erik Scott said in a video update on social media.
With a happy heart and a sense of relief, we are pleased to report that our most injured #LAFD #Firefighter was successfully extubated this morning. He is awake, alert and talking.
— Erik Scott (@PIOErikScott) February 17, 2024
Next steps will be to introduce food as tolerated.
One was in stable but critical condition at Los Angeles General Medical Center’s burn unit and the other remained admitted for observation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Scott said.
The released firefighters will continue to receive treatment for injuries including burns, blunt trauma, shrapnel wounds and effects on their hearing, Scott said.
[EARLIER: Trauma surgeon: LAFD FFs stabilized after being hurt in explosion]
The blast occurred minutes after the firefighters responded to a report of a truck fire in the Wilmington area near the Port of Los Angeles.
Authorities said the truck was powered by compressed natural gas and one of its two 100-gallon (378-liter) fuel tanks blew up.
The other tank remained in the mangled wreckage but is believed to now be empty, department spokesman Nicholas Prange said.
The Fire Department and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the explosion.