LA County Firefighter Killed in Explosion
An L.A. County firefighter has died following an explosion in the Antelope Valley. An investigation is now underway to determine the cause of the tragic incident, with officials working to piece together the circumstances that led to the blast.
The firefighter killed in the Antelope Valley explosion was identified as Andrew Pontious, a 19-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The 52-year-old was stationed in Palmdale at Station 93 and was a husband and father. The fatal incident occurred on Friday, June 14, at a rock quarry in the 6500 block of East Avenue T. Pontious and his crew were responding to a fire that had engulfed a very large articulated front loader when one of the vehicle's nearly 7-foot tires exploded. The explosion killed Pontious instantly and caused minor injuries to a second firefighter who was also at the scene. That firefighter was taken to Antelope Valley Medical Center and has since been released. No quarry workers were injured in the blast or fire. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's homicide and arson units are now leading a death investigation to determine the cause of the explosion. L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone stated he was previously unaware that large tires could explode in such a deadly manner. A procession of first responders escorted Pontious' body from the quarry to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office. In response to the tragedy, Governor Gavin Newsom ordered flags at the state capitol to be flown at half-staff.
