Raging Fires Ringing Los Angeles
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Indeed, firemen were practicing on wrong house •j JUUE WOLF M« tOBIN GOLDSTEIN But lir. Bedel) confirmed yesterday that the house was, , who can coordinate all the departments," he Um BRANCH - The Fire Department used the Indeed, owned by a private party, Mr Locklear, and had noted "They are the Mayor (Henry R. Ctoffl) and Mr. «nH kMH Sunday oa which to practice 1U fire-fighting not been condemned. la fact, oa Aug. II Mr. Locklear Bedell. I understand that Mr. Locklear couldn't reach • Mdaitl t,dty officials admitted yesterday received a permit to perform about 11,SM in alterations on either of them when this happened. A «MB, la which smoke coadttions attending an actual the bouse, which bad been assessed by the city at H.JOt; "But what happens if there is a real emergency? What *• SH ihmbUed, had been authortied by the city, but It the property on which it Hands is asseased at Sia.m, Mr. happens when a cttlien needs to find out something' This M •Miimil to be hold la a city-owned building, City Bade" added was done in such a random fashion. I Just thank God that no Adrtattntor Eugene BedeU said. Mr. O'Neill, who was the acting City Administrator one was hurt." laateud. firefighters ended up setting art up their when the Fire Department first began Inquiring about "There an a lot of questions we want to ask at the •nwrlgapot device in a privately owned vacant hoot* at 171 using i condemned house lor a drill, said be could not Council meeting (tonight)," Mr. Greenspan went on. "The am SL A drum filled with rags, used to produce smoke comment on the matter until it was investigated by City Incident In Itself Is not that large, but what does bother me hr the drill, caught on fire and damaged the bouse, which Attorney Richard Bonetto. is that we don't have a procedure to coordinate all depart- k ened by Hsary Locklear of H) Seccad Ave. Mr. BoneDo could not be reached for comment yester- ment heads to face an emergency." It was a "mistake," city officials said, but no one seems day. The Fire Department, although It is a volunteer or- qutta eure who* mistake It was. "It was a case of mistaken identity," Mr. BedeU offered ganisation under the aegis of elected chiefs, Is within the . "TWre was I misinterpretation of the address," Mr. In explanation of the incident yesterday. "Just a human Jurisdiction of the Director of Public Safety, Prank B Bedel said "Tkere were certainly no intentions of hurting traillty. I don't know how much real damage could have Udtra. aayeoe'i property They mistook the address of the house been don* to the property, based on its real worth. 1 don't Mr. Udtra said yesterday that he was not even aware and wentto the wrong one." regard this as an extremely serious matter." that a drill was scheduled until after it was over and Fara Chief Raymond Cook aald, however, that Dennis The most serious problem pointed up by the Incident questions began to. arise. • CNeB, the dtjr's Director of Finance, had authortied the was the lack of a chain of command, and the apparent lack Mr. Locklear could not be reached for comment yester- itiHttliim to hold the drill at 171 Laurel St. of communication between various city departments that day, but Mr. BedeU said that Mr. Locklear would meet with Mr. O'Neill told him. Chief Cook said, that the Laurel allowed tor the mistake to happen, Seymour Greenspan, Mr. Bonello to discuss a settlement. Mmt MUM had been taken over by the city because it was president of the City Council, said last night. On Sunday, Mr. Locklear said that, because of toe ••naym on taxes and had been condemned. "There are only two line managers In the city chain of See Wreag kease, page I The 'wrong' house. (Forino photo) The Daily Register ••*E5&" VOL. 101 NO. 95 SHREWSBURY, N.J. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24,1978 15 CENTS Raging fires ringing Los Angeles UM ANGELES (AP) - Raging brushflres ringed Los Angeles today after destroying about 70 expensive homes, scorching some 20,000 acres and turning thousands of wealthy canyon and beachfront residents into refugees. firefighters struggled in vain against walls of flame driven by gale force desert winds, as columns of flame roared 100 feet into the air. Officials said there was no hope the fires would be brought under control quickly. The twisting canyon and coast roads came alive with animals — horses and goats led by soot-blackened owners, and Fire rages along boardwalk in A.C. ATLANTIC CITY (AP) - Firefighters battled through- out the night to contain a smoky general alarm fire on the boardwalk that damaged 10 stores and an apartment In a hoakytoak row of souvenir stands and snack shops. Ttrtaue was faaned-»y 29 mph winds until It was contained at 4:H a.m. today — exactly seven hours after the Brat alarm sounded. Fin Chief Lawrence Skey estimated damage at ttl million, based on rising property values along the boardwak. Moat of the (Hock between Illinois and Ken- tucky avenues was consumed. A hot dog stand and gift shop were destroyed. Gutted were a bingo parlor, abook shop, an Ice cream stand, two other snack shops and a well-furnished apartment above a saM water taffy shop. Receiving water and smoke damage were the taffy shop, a portrait sketching shop and another gttehqn. Three firefighters were admitted to Atlantic City Medi- cal Center suffering from smoke Inhalation. In good condi- tion are are Cant. Walter Cress, and firefighters John BerheaVo and Stanley Glassey, a hospital spokesman said. Eight others treated and released from the hospital for smoke inhalation were Battalion Chiefs James France and Richard McNaUy. Capt. James Hicks and firefighters Henry Haha, Thomas Channel, James Kenny, Robert Thompaoa and Alfred Emmoas. Atlantic City Police officer Donna Millman was treated and rekaaed for a broken toe. ? : The cause of the fire was unknown. ^ifi M:^f^0' '*4 ^fi^'^.-0-^.B I Skey said, "It was Impossible to do any Interior fire fighting." Most of the buildings were wood frame struc- tures with common ceilings. The buildings had been re- modeled several times during ihe past decade and some stores had two or three false ceilings, he said. Fire cornea over the mountains near Mandeville, Calif. Firemen fight vainly to save N. Los Angeles home Deputy Fire Chief Franklin Kemp said/This U one of the wont smoky fires I've seen In 8 years." snakes, rats and other small animals of the brush fleeing the Carter tells us tonight about inflation flames toward the sea A dozen persons, both firefighters and civilians, were hospi- Carter's last inflation pro- tASHINGTON (AP) - sound like warmed-over por- at limiting wage In- about 8 percent this year. billion projected for fiscal 1171. talized for Injuries ranging from smoke Inhalation to burns and gram, which hasn't worked. PNWMt Carter will explain tions of past programs. to 7 percent next year Major corporations will be Budget deficits are blamed by broken ribs. One helicopter dropping fire retardants crashed to th* American people tonight Carter is scheduled to out- and price increases to about asked to keep price rises at The president also may an- many people as one cause Of and another made a forced landing, but only minor Injuries Hi newest battle plan for fight- line the program in a na- 175 percent. If successful, the least one-naif of one percent nounce he is naming Alfred E. Inflation, although the admin- were reported. iflattoo through wage and tioawide television address program would reduce infla- below their average increases Kahn, the chairman of the Civ- istration has not agreed with The hot Santa Ana desert winds, nicknamed "Devil Winds" yj^toH... and additional from the White House at 10 tion to between « percent and (or the last two years. That is il Aeronautics Board, to head that theory. because of their history of destruction, were expected to subside a p.m.. EOT If percent by the end of next virtually the same request that the new program. Kahn, II, Jody Powell, Carter's press today. itralats on government Some of it may The guidelines will be year, compared with a rate of was put to big business in has presided over the partial spokesman, said Carter was Hundreds of evacuees streamed from Mandeville Canyon on deregulation of the airline in- working alone Monday on a the dty's fashionable West Side, some leading horses and goats, dustry that has resulted in final draft of his speech at some clinging to cars already Jammed with belongings. Fire r ; sharply lower air fares. Camp David and would stay engines slowed to * crawl as they threaded their way up narrow As of late Monday, how- there overnight. Last-minute See L.A. fires, page i ever. It was known that Kahn changes weren't being ruled had not said he would accept out because the outlook for in- sking state the Job and succeed Robert • flation apparently has Strauss as the president's top worsened since the plans were inflation adviser. first drawn up six weeks ago. The Inside Story Wage and price behavior by Another indication of the - THE WEATHER big business and unions will be nation's economic health came •-.ft. r monitored by the Council on Monday when Chemical Bank Wage and Price Stability, of New York City raised Its Mostly saaay, breety and mica feeler today, tare- whose staff will be increased prime lending rate from 10 kg warmer Uaterraw.