Los Angeles, CA – The Los Angeles Fire Department has reported that one of the nine firefighters who were injured in the Wilmington explosion has shown signs of progress. The injured firefighter has been extubated and is now awake, alert, and speaking. This marks the beginning of a lengthy recovery process for the firefighter.
According to a tweet from LAFD Capt. Erik Scott, the next steps in the recovery process will involve introducing food as tolerated by the firefighter. Additionally, the firefighter who was critically injured has been discharged from the hospital and is currently resting at home. As for the remaining seven firefighters, they will be off duty and attending various medical appointments to address their injuries.
The incident occurred on a street in Wilmington when a compressed natural gas tank on a burning truck exploded Thursday morning. The explosion sent a fireball into the air, causing injuries to the responding firefighters. Two of the firefighters remain hospitalized in critical condition, while the others have been discharged.
Following the explosion, the fire department responded to the location near a truck yard next to a residential neighborhood after receiving a call about the truck fire. It was later revealed that two 100-gallon compressed natural gas tanks were on the truck, with one of the tanks exploding while the firefighters were trying to put out the fire.
Finally, the firefighters are still at the scene, working to release gas from the second tank on the burned-out truck. The aftermath of the explosion has left the department assessing the situation and the extent of the injuries caused by the incident.