Councilman Lee gathers residents affected by July 4 Northridge apartment fire for reunion breakfast

Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)

Sep. 10--District 12 Los Angeles City Councilmember John Lee hosted a breakfast over the holiday weekend as families that were deeply affected by a July 4 fire at a Northridge apartment complex reunited.

An illegal fireworks display sparked the fire in the apartments at 8651 N Wilbur Avenue. One of the pyrotechnics spun off course, landed in a palm tree, exploded, ignited trees and set the adjacent apartment building ablaze.

More than 80 Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters responded to the fire, finding several units burning when they arrived. LAFD members rescued several residents from their apartments. Five sustained injuries, with three being transported to the hospital in serious condition from smoke inhalation.

The fire displaced approximately 55 residents of the complex, with some losing everything then owned to the blaze.

In the days following the event, Lee and representatives from the Los Angeles Housing Community Investment Department, LAPD Devonshire PALS, LAPD Devonshire Division, Napa Elementary School, Park Parthenia Apartments

and the San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission joined together to help the victims.

And on Monday, Sept. 7, Lee gathered the complex's neighbors and former neighbors for a reunion breakfast outside his office in Chatsworth. Joining them were responding firefighters from LAFD Battalion 15 (No. 103 & 70), police officers from LAPD Devonshire Division, Jose Portillo from the Park Parthenia Apartments and Luís Alvarado, principal of the Napa Street Elementary School.