A National Response Team (NRT) from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has been called in to aid the investigation of a massive fire that on Oct. 25 severely damaged about one-third of an 81,000-square-foot self-storage facility operated by Extra Space Storage Inc. in Venice, Calif. Approximately 20 ATF agents and specialists have joined Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) arson investigators and local ATF agents to determine the cause of the fire. It took approximately 365 firefighters more than 14 hours to fully distinguish the blaze, according to the LAFD.
Officials are investigating the fire as if it was the result of arson, including using specially trained dogs to see if accelerants were used. Firefighters said the steel roof, limited ventilation and a lack of sprinklers at the two-story building at 658 Venice Blvd. made the fire difficult to extinguish and extremely hot, reaching 1,200 degrees at one point, according to NBC Los Angeles.
"I was talking to a veteran firefighter and he said buildings like these are fireman killers," Carlos Canino, ATF special agent in charge of the Los Angeles field division, told NBC Los Angeles. Eight firefighters suffered injuries, ranging from heat exhaustion to minor burns. Five were transported to local hospitals, but each has since been released, according to the LAFD. No other injuries were reported.
Damage cost has not been released by LAFD, although CBS Los Angeles reported initial estimates at $2 million.
Because the building is being treated as a crime scene, tenants haven’t been allowed inside to check on their belongings. Extra Space Storage is "in the process of contacting each of the customers individually and will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available," Jeff Norman, senior director of investor relations and corporate communications, said in a released statement.
The ATF typically deploys the NRT when confronted with challenging investigations and high-profile cases related to arson and explosives. The NRT investigated the 1993 World Trade Center and Oklahoma City bombings as well as the 9/11 Pentagon crash site, according to the LAFD.
Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Extra Space is a real estate investment trust that owns or operates 1,071 self-storage properties in 35 states; Washington, D.C.; and Puerto Rico. The company’s properties comprise approximately 715,000 units and 79 million square feet of rentable space.
Sources:
- CBS Los Angeles: ATF Joins Probe of Storage Facility Fire
- Los Angeles Fire Department: ATF National Response Team Joins LAFD Fire Investigation at Venice Storage Facility
- MyFox LA: ATF's National Response Team Flying in to Investigate Venice Storage Facility Fire
- NBC Los Angeles: Venice Storage Fire Draws ATF Investigators
