2 Rescued After Being Trapped In Hollywood House Fire That Reached 1,100 Degrees: LAFD

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Six people were hospitalized after a fire broke out at a Hollywood home early Wednesday morning, which required firefighters to rescue two seriously injured people who had become trapped behind a gate, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Firefighters responded to reports of heavy smoke at a single-family home at 1337 N. Cherokee Ave., a few blocks east of Highland and Fountain avenues, at around 3 a.m. As firefighters were conducting an offensive attack on the fire, they found two men trapped behind a security gate inside the home, the LAFD said.

The men were transported to a local hospital, one in critical condition and one in grave condition, firefighters said.

The fire continued to grow rapidly during the rescue; firefighters were inside the home when a flashover occurred, the LAFD said.

A flashover occurs when every combustible surface exposed to thermal radiation in an enclosed space rapidly and simultaneously ignites. The phenomenon typically occurs when temperatures inside a building reach 1,100 degrees, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

One member of the crew's ears were burned; all four members were transported to a local hospital for observation, firefighters said.

It took 48 firefighters 31 minutes to access, confine and extinguish the flames, the LAFD said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.