Twilight Fire Fighting Ops @ La Tuna Fire

As day turns in to night, the water dropping helicopters of LA City, LA County, and Erickson continue in to the evening. New night time flying technology has extended the flight hours of fire fighting capabilities in to night. It's amazing to watch these giant choppers fly and drop water at night on the La Tuna fire, which is officially the largest fire in LA City history.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2017

Erickson Air-Crane flying over the moon.

Fire fighter spotting water drops in Sun Valley.

Night drop.

LA County Fire Hawk.

Erickson Air-Crane doing a night drop.

Night burn.

L.A.P.D. And L.A. School Police Stop Suicide Attempt Atop L.A. High School

L.A.P.D. officers from the Wilshire division assisting L.A. School Police subdue a suicide attempt suspect on top of a car port at L.A. High School on Olympic Blvd.
The suspect appeared to have some mental problems, and would not listen to any commands given to him by the police. The man held a sharp spear up to his abdomen and threatened to impale himself or jump off of the roof. L.A.P.D. officers gradually surrounded the man and shot him six times with non-lethal bean-bag rounds from a shot gun. The suspect seemed un-phased by the bean bag rounds and attempted to stab himself with a spear. LAPD then fired a taser round which immediately stunned the suspect long enough for officers to subdue him.
He was hoisted off the roof of the building by L.A. Fire  and taken to a local hospital.

L.A.P.D. officers with the suspect.

L.A.P.D. air support.

The suspect hoisted off of the roof by L.A. Fire.

L.A.P.D. officer with the suspect's spear.

The suspect on his way to the hospital.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2011

40K Hits On Flickr 1-29-08

This photo received 40 thousand hits on my Flickr page as of today. It was taken on PCH during the first day of the Southern California firestorm. 

Photo by Ted Soqui c 2008

Farmer's Insurance TV Commercial

Farmer's Insurance Company ran a television commercial, "They Were There, People" featuring my photo of a LA County firecopter doing a water drop on a wild fire in Malibu. The commercial "recognizes extraordinary efforts of remarkable individuals", people who fought the California wild fires of 2007. Farmers Insurance Company  is based in Los Angeles, California. www.farmers.com

Latest Published Photo

Latest photos published in the LA Weekly. The story is on high tech fire fighting by the LA Fire department air support division written by Christine Pelisek. 

Photo by Ted Soqui c 2007