West L.A. House Fire Claims Life
The Los Angeles Fire Department discovered a man dead inside a burning West Los Angeles home Saturday night.
The fire was first reported to 9-1-1 at 8:37 PM on Saturday, May 1, 2021 by a passing motorist uncertain of the burning home's location. Sent nearby, firefighters pursued a column of smoke and guidance from later 9-1-1 callers to arrive at 10544 West Louisiana Avenue, where they discovered fire showing from a 1,418 square-foot one story home.
The first 26 arriving LAFD firefighters under the command of Battalion Chief Kenneth Miller, mounted a bold and well-coordinated attack on the flames, taking just 22 minutes to fully extinguish the fire. It was then they discovered a man's body. Beyond medical help, he was determined dead at the scene.
No other injuries were reported.
Due to fire damage, the presence of smoke alarms and their functional status at the time of the fire could not be immediately determined. The 74 year-old home was not equipped with optional residential fire sprinklers.
A positive identification of the dead man, as well as the cause, time and manner of his death will be determined by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. The specific cause of the fire remains under active investigation.
