Thermite® RS3 Assists Interior Fire Fight on Los Angeles Freeway
On November 11th, 2023, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) responded to a brush fire in Downtown Los Angeles. The fire was set in a storage yard filled with pallets, trailers and vehicles that were near a set of exposed buildings. The incident was immediately upgraded to a structure fire upon discovery, which led to the swift delivery of additional resources.
Fire swells on the exterior of the freeway would not allow the Thermite® RS3 to safely enter the underpass, so for several hours, fire fighters were using handlines to calm the storm. Once this area opened using the LAFD’s RS3, Captain Diede and his team could address the interior firefighting operation. Making entry under the freeway, the robot safely assessed and addressed any remaining flare ups that could harm excavating operations. Once it was safe for the excavating team, Heavy Equipment Operators (HEOs) started to move debris to open a path for any remaining flare ups to be doused with water.
Overall, 164 firefighters worked through the night to extinguish the fire and defend three commercial buildings from sustaining any critical damage. Only one fire engine sustained damage during these operations. Thankfully no firefighters were injured while combating this fire.
We are thrilled to hear that the RS3 played a critical role in this fight and that it was able to keep these brave people in the field out of harm’s way. This was a textbook example of how our robots handle and maintain structure fires in conjunction with the boots on the ground. Fantastic job to all 164 firefighters that put their lives on the line to tame this blaze.
Read more about the details of the fire here. For a behind the scenes look at how the RS3 was used to combat this blaze, view the gallery below.
