Despite the swift response of firefighters, one woman perished at a house fire early Sunday morning in the northeast San Fernando Valley.

The Los Angeles Fire Department was summoned by a neighbor's 9-1-1 call at 3:41 AM on September 27, 2020, to a structure fire at 11538 Kismet Avenue in Lake View Terrace, where firefighters arrived quickly to find flames showing from the rear of a one story home.

Though neighbors expressed fear that two persons were trapped in the burning house, an adult male, later determined to have been staying in a nearby recreational vehicle, escaped unharmed. He informed firefighters that his elderly mother was likely trapped inside the fire and smoke charged residence. 

First arriving firefighters extended handlines to do fierce battle with flames, as other firefighters rapidly joined them to tackle the fire and simultaneously search the 1,256 square-foot home, filled with excessive personal storage. 

As firefighters pushed back the last of the flames, they discovered a woman without vital signs of life. Sadly beyond medical help, her death was determined at the scene. No other injuries were reported. 

Thirty-eight firefighters under the command of Battalion Chief Nicholas Ferrari skilfully confined the fire to structure, fully extinguishing flames in just 33 minutes. 

Firefighters found no evidence of functional smoke alarms in the home, as required by law. The 62 year-old building was not equipped with optional residential fire sprinklers. 

A positive identification of the dead woman, as well as the cause, time and manner of her death will be determined by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. 

The cause of the fire remains under active investigation. 

Dispatched LAFD Units: E98  T98  E298  RA898  RA98  E24  E274  T74  BC12  RA77  EM15  E77  E275  T75  EM17  CM42  RA74  AR2  PH1  PI2