Fire and smoke billowed from LAX this morning
Part of annual drill
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Fire and smoke billowed from Los Angeles International Airport this morning during a Los Angeles Fire Department exercise.
The drill began at 4 a.m. and was scheduled to last until 6:30 a.m., according to authorities who said the smoke and flames would be visible for more than 30 miles.
"There is no cause for public alarm," said fire department spokesman Erik Scott.
The drill is federally mandated for the fire department personnel stationed at the $3.75 million state-of-the-art training facility at the southwest corner of the airport grounds, Scott said.
The training must occur at least once a year. Rescue firefighters serving at LAX and Van Nuys Airport participate in order to hone their lifesaving skills, he said.
The drills are designed to address environmental concerns, according to the fire department. The water, fuel and firefighting foam used at the training facility are captured after going through a complex series of scrubbers. Water is treated to assure it meets strict clean water standards for discharge at the
nearby Hyperion Treatment plant, Scott said.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Virgin America airline began offering flights between Los Angeles International Airport and Las Vegas today, and touted the service with a sale of tickets for as low as $39 each way.
Passengers on the inaugural flight from LAX to Las Vegas were given the red-carpet treatment upon arrival, and airline officials, including company founder Sir Richard Branson and Virgin America CEO David Cush, will host a celebration tonight at The Cosmopolitan hotel/casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
The Asian Boyz bloody murder spree in 1995 and 1996 came to a conclusion this week when a Los Angeles Superior Court judge sentenced the final defendant to 218 years to life in state prison.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department held an open house in a Hollywood Park parking lot in Inglewood to introduce the community to their new specialized equipment presentation, where they displayed their new fire equipment and apparatus. The machinery included helicopters like the one above, fire engines, search and rescue as well as command vehicles, ladder trucks, and more.
The Fire Explorers and Community Emergency Response Team also assisted.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—LAX is safer today than it was after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, thanks to $1.6 billion spent on improving security over the past decade, but the airport needs better communication between police agencies, a report released today said.
The Federal Transit Administration gave the approval for construction to begin on Metro’s $1.76 billion light rail line along Crenshaw Boulevard that will run from the Green Line near Los Angeles International Airport to the Expo Line.
The FTA approved the final environmental impact report for the 8.5-mile line. The report still needs approval by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which is expected to vote on the report at its Sept. 22 board meeting.
