Seven Los Angeles firefighters injured in explosion of burning truck’s fuel tank

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities say a burning truck’s fuel tank exploded on Thursday (Feb. 15, 2024) while Los Angeles firefighters were trying to battle the blaze, injuring seven of them, including two critically. Fire department spokesman Nicholas Prange says the explosion occurred shortly before 7 a.m. Thursday in the Wilmington neighborhood. Six firefighters were taken to a hospital. The status of the truck’s driver remains unknown. The blast occurred near an industrial area separated from a neighborhood by a wide street and a rail line. Wilmington is 18 miles south of downtown, near the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.