53-year-old man and pet dog killed in East Los Angeles house fire

A 53-year-old man and his pet dog were killed in a house fire in East Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon. 

The blaze was reported just after 3 p. m. at a one-story home in the 1300 block of Kenmore Avenue, according to a news release from the Los Angeles Fire Department. 

Upon arrival, firefighters saw flames showing from one room of the home. 

"Following initial reports of possible persons trapped, firefighters prioritized a search of the structure," the release said. "The adult male victim and a dog were quickly located inside the home, but firefighters on scene sadly determined both beyond medical intervention."

Crews extinguished the fire in 22 minutes. No other structures were damaged in the fire. 

As with all fatal fires handled by LAFD firefighters, arson investigators were contacted to investigate the cause of the fire. 

The victim has not yet been identified. 

Drivers were encouraged to seek alternate routes as the mop-up and investigation continued on Sunday. 

Editor's note: LAFD officials first estimated that the victim was an 80-year-old man. They amended that information at a later time to note he was actually believed to be 53.