Local cyclists on the Tuesday Night Bicykillers Bike Ride were giving a "no-show" rider a hard time on the Midnight Ridazz forum, but when they heard the rider's excuse, it left them apologizing and genuflecting. Here's what happened Tuesday night, a personal account from the rider, Mark Oshiro, himself: I went on a short 4 mile run and on my way back to my pad (right next to MacArthur Park) I saw the birdy in......

Waking up at 5:30 a.m. and being rushed out of your downtown Wilshire Grand hotel room is not the ideal experience for your Los Angeles stay. However, better safe than sorry when the 10th floor of at least 80 people was evacuated due to pepper spray being released. In an e-mail alert, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Ron Meyers said 20-30 people were evaluated with none needing treatment or transport to a local area hospital.......

Update 7:00 p.m.: Sepulveda is still shut down and now crews expect to open it around 9 p.m. tonight. Update 5:11 p.m.: "Crews Hope to Clean up Sepulveda Landslide by 5:30pm Rush Hour" says Fox 11 News. Update 4:04 p.m.: Power has been restored to all effected except 700 residential customers in Brentwood and Bel Air. Update 11:14 a.m.: This morning's landslide even caused power to go out at the Getty Center. Luckily, power in......

Last year, Los Angeles firefighter Tennie Pierce sued the city and won $2.7 million for being victim of a hazing prank in which a Latino firefighter put dog food in his spaghetti. The prankster and his two white captains were punished, but the captains, who did not spike the food, were treated more severely by the department, leading to yet another lawsuit. In the decision, jurors said it was both a finding that Capts. Chris......

"...And the ancient empty street's too dead for dreaming" by kpe II via LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr Newly elected state speaker, a Democrat named Karen Bass who was raised in Los Angeles, has made friends on both sides of the aisle, the LA Times said. She is the first African-American to assume the top spot and has some pretty lofty goals, including providing healthcare and improving education. Wait, those are things EVERY......

Photo by view from a loft via LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr The Los Angeles Fire Department is responding to a call regarding a possible jumper onto the 110 Freeway Northbound at Stadium Way. A week ago today, someone committed suicide by jumping onto the 101 Freeway at Wilton Place. Update, 2:12 P.M.: After the first responders arrived, nothing was found after a 10-minute search according to d'Lisa Davies of the LAFD. The......

Photo by karynsig via Flickr This month at LAist, we've been covering breakfast in our Wake Up LA series helping you explore new morning nosh options. On Saturday, there's a one-time breakfast event that we highly encourage you to attend -- one that continues the spirit of giving that exemplifies a man who gave his life for the people of this city. In honor of fallen LAPD SWAT member Randall Simmons, from 7:00 to......

Averaging more than one incident a week so far in 2008, there have been nine incidents between people/cars, or in one case, a fire hydrant, and mainly Metro busses, except for one incident involving a Big Blue Bus, Santa Monica's transit agency and another with an unknown transit agency at this time. According to Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) records, there have been a total of forty-three injuries, ranging from minor to critical (some......

It could be a better day for Metro. The second Metro incident within the city limits of Los Angeles of the day occurred at 8:50 p.m. tonight when a Gold Line train crashed into a vehicle near the Highland Park station. The motorist, a 30-year-old male, was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries, reported Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Two Gold Line vs. car crashes occurred in September......

View Larger Map A two-car crash on Anaheim St. in the Wilmington neighborhood of Los Angeles north of San Pedro and the LA Harbor has sent four patients to the hospital in critical condition, leaving one in minor condition. Two had to be extricated from a sedan by the Los Angeles Fire Department. The cause of the crash is unknown at this time, but officials are warning of traffic along this main artery.......

The ground lifted at the back right corner of the garage | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist UPDATE, 11:30 A.M.: The Daily News reports there was no water main rupture as originally indicated in the early alerts by the fire department. "... we believe we have water that has seeped below this residence on the upper street going down to the lower street and, unfortunately, has dislodged the foundation and the solid ground and is......

View Larger Map UPDATE, 1:58 A.M.: This story has been updated and can be read in full here. UPDATE, 11:28 P.M.: The LA Fire Department is reporting that a total of four homes with seven people have been evacuated with no injuries. They are currently working to stabilize and protect the homes below.At 9:57 p.m. tonight, a large hillside water main break was reported to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Possibly threatening homes in the......

Update, 5:05 P.M.: One of the patients is in critical condition according to ABC7 on air news. The Los Angeles Fire Department reports that the all patients are from the bus including the driver. Yesterday it was a close call with the Blue Line, but today is the real deal. An Orange Line Metroliner bus has collided with an automobile on the 12700 block of Chandler Blvd. between Coldwater Cyn. and Whitsett. No further details......

The Los Angeles Fire Department is reporting a five-car pileup on the 101 north freeway at Barham over the Cahuenga Pass. Luckily, the three injuries are minor, but that means three blocked lanes and a Sigalert. Earlier this morning during the 5:00 a.m. hour near Olvera Street and Union Station, a woman was hit and killed by a Metro bus. The crash is still under investigation and details are pending. This is the third major......

A Metro bus collided with two cars this afternoon, injuring twelve. "Four patients transported to area hospitals with minor injuries, eight were treated and released at the scene," Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman d'Lisa Davies said in a text alert. "Davies did not immediately know how the accident occurred, and whether the injured included anyone from the small cars." according to the AP via CBS2 News. The incident occurred at 5098 W. Rodeo Rd (map)......

The Los Angeles Fire Department is reporting a "water main rupture with pavement damage" on West Cahuenga Blvd. in the community of Cahuenga Pass. The street is passable, however, traffic is expected to be rerouted once the Department of Water & Power arrives on scene. For now, though, the DWP is stuck in traffic, so that won't happen right away. There will likely be delays this afternoon going over the pass in either direction, prepare......

At 11:13 p.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department alerted of a small helicopter has crashed at the southbound 110 Freeway and Century Blvd. One person was dead on board the fiery crash. Fire officials are describing it as a "small, private type, possibly home made type" aircraft. "The Federal Aviation Administration and California Highway Patrol would investigate the cause of the accident.," reports the LA Times. "The Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles County......

The 4th St. bridge and 3rd Street is closed between Alameda and Central due to an explosion at 637 E. 3rd St. Unknown in nature at this point, the explosion left one LAPD officer with minor injuries who was transported to the hospital. Another officer in the patrol car was not hurt....

Video by Roxanne Musterer Thanks to LAist reader and Toronto local, Roxanne Musterer, we have this video showing the fire at 6th St. between Detroit and La Brea in the Miracle Mile neighborhood. Quite intense! Read more about the fire here.......

On scene photos by Roxanne Musterer, LAist Reader The Los Angeles Fire Department is reporting a two story apartment building with fire showing from the attic that began shortly before 2:30 p.m. at 5449 6th St. between Detroit St. and La Brea Ave. CBS2 reports:Flames engulfed a two-story apartment building near Park La Brea Tuesday, sending a thick plume of black smoke into the air and forcing residents to evacuate, but there were no......

At 10 a.m. this morning, a big rig carrying a cargoload of tires collided with a sedan causing the southbound 5 Freeway to shut down for hours. Read the full story on LAist from earlier today here. More photos of the incident after this post's jump.......

A big rig carrying a cargoload of tires collided with a sedan around 10 this morning on the 5 Freeway south of 4th Street, causing a two-hour-long shutdown of the major arteries through Downtown and a blaze that was apparently visible from over 20 miles away. It took 60 firefighters 38 minutes to knock down the flames, according the LAFD, which lept from the burning vehicles to nearby palm trees, as witnessed by other......

As the dark settled over Los Angeles last night, we awoke to an unfortunate number of deaths. Any number is sad -- especially four. Vermont Knolls, Los Angeles: In an alley off of 73rd St. in South LA, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported a "vehicle fire in alley with apparent human remains" in a news alert. The LAPD is treating it as a homicide. 110 Freeway @ Manchester Ave: In another LAFD alert, there......

Okay, so yesterday the Bank Heist set aflame, but thanks to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the fire did not put the restaurant/club in the NoHo Arts District our of business, only affecting the second floor club area (a smaller bar and full service restaurant are on the first floor). They opened last fall, but never had a grand opening, which was and still is officially scheduled for February. Owner Kat Johnson tells the LA......

No, there was not a bank heist today in North Hollywood, as there was 11 years ago, the old bank building turned into restaurant/club on Lankershim Blvd., near the NoHo Red/Orange Line stops, is on fire. At 7:13 a.m. this morning, the fire was reported. One firefighter suffered smoke inhalation.The fire burned between floors and in the attic area, said Ron Myers of the Los Angeles Fire Department. After about 40 minutes, firefighters determined......

As of 12:30 a.m. tonight, 10,300 LADWP customers went without power throughout the city, primarily due to downed wires from the weather, according to a press release from the city agency. Crews have been deployed to the scattered outages, affecting the following areas and number of customers: South LA 1,153 Cheviot Hills 1,442 Knollwood 151 Mid City 561 Granada Hills 12 Belair Estates 4 Country Club Park 29 Studio City 38 North Hollywood 3,257 Westchester......

The Los Angeles Fire Department is reporting an 8 vehicle traffic accident at 1301 S. La Brea with 2 critical and 11 minor patients reported thus far. No extrication was needed and further details are forthcoming. In an event most likely to be unrelated, shots were fired on Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills around 3 p.m. today. "A gunman in a black Mercedes-Benz fired several shots along Wilshire Boulevard Wednesday, but no one is believed......

The Los Angeles Fire Department has announced a Red Flag Parking Day that will begin tomorrow morning at "08:00 AM to Wednesday, January 2, 2008 08:00 AM or until further notice." Those who violate Red Flag Parking sign restrictions risk getting ticketed, but more likely being towed. This is not good timing for the Holidays, but fire knows no tactful way of saying "hello." Image provided by the Los Angeles Fire Department......

As the early crowd began to show up at bars in Hollywood last night, a few blocks away at Highland and Sunset at Hollywood High School one of the 17 or so LAPD Airships was making an emergency landing on the football field due to mechanical problems around 9:40 p.m. It landed safely and no injuries were reported according to Cecil Manresa, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman. The LAPD reports that the helicopter is still......

Within 48 hours, building fires in Los Angeles did not take a holiday vacation. Early this morning in the Westlake neighborhood, a fire broke out in a three story converted-to-apartments Victorian home. Eleven residents, including two children were displaced while one man died. The cause is unknown. Early last night on Budlong Ave. near 117th St, a fire, most likely caused by a space heater, killed a 48-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman in......