Deputies honored for saving residents during intense apartment fire in Rancho Palos Verdes

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. (KABC) -- Body camera video shows parts of what Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies with the Lomita Station saw and did when they responded to an apartment fire in Rancho Palos Verdes.

"I saw flames pouring out of the back side of a balcony of a third-story apartment," said Deputy Anthony Gamboa Jr.

After alerting residents to evacuate, he used a fire hose to try to contain the flames.

"Just trying to make any attempt to buy time for the fire department to get there," he said.

Then, he and other deputies tried to evacuate residents on three floors.

"Everything was a little bit chaotic at the moment, just because a lot of our partners were trying to evacuate as quickly as we could," said Deputy Jasmine Henriquez. "It became a team effort to make sure that everyone was out of the building. At the moment, I just knew that there was a job to be done, and that was where my focus was."

Fortunately, no one was inside the apartment in flames, but that another couple nearby was unaware of the fire.

"Sometimes, I know that it seems like every resident should know when there's a big fire right next to them, but unless there's like a lot of noise being created by that, some residents might not know," said Gamboa.

"It was a very large team effort," said Deputy Mark Chua. "We couldn't have done it without everybody's help."

Several deputies were treated for minor smoke inhalation. Authorities said a preliminary investigation found the fire originated from a malfunctioning electrical stove and that no one was injured. Cooking and heating are considered the leading causes of residential fires.

Prevention tips from the American Red Cross include:

• Turning off the stove when leaving the kitchen

• Cleaning surfaces on a regular basis to prevent grease buildup

• Ensuring appliances are turned off before leaving or going to bed