LOS ANGELES — All Water and Power Community employees are safe and accounted for, but only because firefighter Brent A. Lovrein, who was killed in the blast, kept them out of harm's way.

Linda Heidtke, director of marketing, said three credit union employees were on duty at the Sepulveda Boulevard branch yesterday when series of small explosions and smoke attracted an armada of fire trucks and a crowd of onlookers. When credit union staff stepped outside to observe the excitement, Lovrein and another fireman, Anthony J. Guzman, quickly shooed them back inside.

Seconds later, the large explosion that killed Lovrein and severely injured Guzman detonated.

“In this instance, it was really clear that they saved our employees' lives, and we're extremely grateful,” Heidtke said.

Because the blast is still under investigation by police, credit union officials have not yet been allowed access to the branch, but Heidtke said she expects to receive permission to enter today.

“Believe it or not, we're just going off what everybody else can see on TV at this point,” she said.