A man was found dead following a fire that broke out in a 10 foot by 10 foot shed in East Los Angeles on Friday, officials said.
Ground crews first responded to reports of a blaze in the 600 block of Fetterly Avenue around 9:40 a.m., according to supervisor Jeremy Stafford with the L.A. County Fire Department.
Upon arrival, firefighters noticed heavy smoke and fire coming from behind a row of apartments. The fire department said the shed was being inhabited despite not meeting building code standards.
A small shed in East Los Angeles that was being inhabited despite housing codes was badly damaged in a fire on Nov. 24, 2017. (Credit: L.A. County Fire Dept.)
A bed, pots and pans were later found in the small space, but there was no sign of running water, electricity or appliances.
The victim was found with burns and there were signs he had suffered smoke inhalation, firefighters said, but the coroner had not yet arrived on scene to determine an official cause of death.
Officials did not identify the deceased victim, described only as an elderly man.
No one else was harmed, LAFD said, but the adjacent housing unit and some of the surrounding properties sustained mild to moderate damage.
Neighbor Vicki Bleazard described how she saw the incident unfold.
"Initially I heard popping, and it was shaking the doors of the house," she said. "Then I heard the fire engines and they were really close, and looked out my kitchen window and there was smoke."
The blaze was extinguished in 14 minutes, firefighters said.
Officials had not yet determined what could have sparked the flames.
Arson investigators were responding to the scene Friday afternoon to determine whether foul play could have been involved.
from KTLA http://ift.tt/2BlVRhZ
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