Incident Name: unknown brush fire on Mt Washington
Date: 6/9/19, died 6/20/19
Personnel: Roman W. Ritters
Age: 43
Agency/Organization: Los Angeles Fire Department
Position: Lieutenant, in command of Hose Company No. 1
Summary: Appointed August 15, 1907 and died June 20, 1919 of burns suffered June 9 at brush fire. Grass fires threatened the Mt Washington area with 52 alarms being sent to the LAFD, a record. While attempting to save a number of houses near Marmion Way and Pasadena Avenue, Roman Ritters was caught in a back draught and seriously burned about the head, face and body. He died 11 days later.
from the LAFD Historical Memorial Archive
Maps
Burnover Location, now
{mosmap lat=’34.090576’|lon=’-118.211214’|marker=’0’|text=’Accident Location’}
Marmion Way and Pasadena Avenue, Mt Washington.
Engine 1 was housed at 1901 Pasadena Ave, a few miles from the accident site, at that time.
The park on Mount Washington is now named “Elyria Canyon Park”.
Reports, Documentation, Lessons Learned
- Los Angeles FD Historical Memorial Archive: Roman Ritters and Hose Company 1 from 1914
- United States Census, 1910: Roman W. Ritters
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