Los Angeles Times: Badly Burned Workers, ‘Chaotic’ Scene Inside O.C. Warehouse Where Plane Crashed

The Los Angeles Times recently interviewed Cedars-Sinai Transfer Center nurse Sunah Kim, RN, MSN, about critical medical care she provided to victims of an explosion and large fire caused by a plane crash at a furniture warehouse in Fullerton on Jan. 2, 2025.

Both people in the small plane died and 18 warehouse employees were injured, some badly burned. Kim happened to be across the street when the plane crashed. She rushed to the site with her Cedars-Sinai badge and a first-aid kit from her car, arriving before emergency medical professionals.

She told the Los Angeles Times it was a “chaotic scene,” and that she treated the wounded as best she could, organizing and prioritizing care for those with the most urgent needs.

“In that moment, when you’re in there, you’re trying to do anything you can to help,” Kim said. “We moved those who needed to see a burn unit immediately from others so when emergency personnel arrived, they knew who to help first.”

Kim, a Cedars-Sinai nurse for 16 years, told the Los Angeles Times she kept working after teams of responders arrived.

“I think they allowed us to continue to help because they were grateful for the help,” she said.

Kim is a former trauma nurse trained in rapid response and crisis care in emergency situations. She now works on patient flow inside Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, as part of its Capacity Command Center, and organizes patient transfers from around the world. Her 29 years of experience as a nurse helped prepare her to focus and quickly triage patients amid the chaos of the crash site.

She told the Cedars-Sinai Newsroom her actions were not heroic but rather, second nature.

“All the healthcare practitioners I know at Cedars-Sinai would have done the same thing,” she said. “If you have the skills and background, you should always help.”

Click here to read the complete article from the Los Angeles Times.