Man Dies, Woman In Grave Condition After Being Rescued From Fire In Exposition Park
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A man has died and a woman continues to fight for her life after being pulled out of a fire burning at a home in Exposition Park.
The fire broke out at about 12:45 a.m. at a home on Leighton Avenue near Budlong. The flames left the front of the home totally burned out.
A man in his 60s and a woman in her 50s had to be rescued from the burning home and were rushed to the hospital, where the man died. The woman, his sister, remains in grave condition. An engineer who assisted with the rescue was also hospitalized for smoke inhalation, but he is expected to be OK.
It took a half hour for 53 firefighters to put out the flames.
The home was initially reported to be a board-and-care facility for mental health patients. However, it appears the owner of the two-story homes was renting out its rooms. Sixteen people, including four children, were inside when the fire broke out.
Resident Debrah Caillier said she was at a convenience store nearby when she was told her home was on fire.
"It really scared me," she said. "All my stuff is all burned up and I just got here."
The Red Cross is on the scene to assist those displaced by the fire.
Crews say they don't believe the home had working smoke detectors. Investigators are on the scene working to determine the cause of the fire.