The 1976 Explosion That Changed Everything
On June 16, 1976, a gas line exploded at the corner of Venice Boulevard and Bagley Avenue. The fire shot up hundreds of feet and dozens of fire trucks were brought in from the city of Los Angeles to help the local Culver City Fire Department. As fire inspector Jim Forte recalls, the fire was so hot that it “melted the plastic on the fire engine.” The explosion resulted in nine deaths, 26 hospitalizations, and 14 critically injured, as well as millions of dollars in property damage…all due to an “18-inch utility location error.” This tragic event resulted in the creation of a national toll-free number 811, which people can now call before digging in any area. Please join us for this powerful program in which we will show the short documentary “811” produced by Mark Morris followed by a Q&A with fire inspector Jim Forte and photographer Brian Haimer who were there on this historic day. We will then have a visit from the Culver City Fire Department, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
Please note that this program will be on Tuesday, October 18, 7PM, in the Multipurpose Room of Veterans Memorial Building.
The public is invited to this free program. Regardless of vaccination status, L.A. County Public Health recommends that people continue to wear masks that fit and filter well in all indoor public places.