Third firefighter injured while battling South L.A. church fire

A third firefighter was injured Tuesday while battling a two-alarm blaze at a South Los Angeles church, officials said.

The firefighter was transported to an area hospital with a non-life-threatening injury, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Erik Scott said.

The firefighter was on an aerial ladder spraying water on the Crouch Memorial Church of God in Christ when he felt like he had been shocked, LAFD spokesman Jaime Moore said. Neither the firefighter nor the ladder were in direct contact with a power line, Moore added, although he noted officials were looking into whether mist from the water had come in contact with the line.

Two other firefighters were injured during fighting the fire, which began about 9:30 a.m. at the century-old church at 1001 E. 27th St. The pair were trying to get into the two-story building’s attic when the roof collapsed, officials said.

Other firefighters rushed into the building and pulled out the two buried under the rubble, Moore said. One was treated at the scene and the other was rushed to a hospital. The extent of the second firefighter’s injuries and an update on his condition were not immediately available, but officials said he was expected to survive.

The pair “were still talking” when they were being pulled out, Fire Chief Brian Cummings told reporters at the scene.

Cummings said the firefighters may have been “pinned down or trapped by a beam.”

More than 100 firefighters responded to the blaze, which was mostly extinguished by 10:30 a.m. Fire officials said they initially believe the fire started in the attic of the church, which they said might not have been cleaned when the pastor turned on the heater in the morning.

Lawrence Magee, 66 -- the pastor of the church since 2011 -- said he turned on the gas heater Tuesday morning to “make sure it was working for tomorrow because it’s supposed to rain.”

Magee’s eyes were teary as he spoke to reporters outside the smoldering church.

“I feel terrible,” he said.

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