Large fire breaks out in Reseda apartment complex, man critically hurt
A man was critically injured and several units were destroyed after a large fire broke out in a large apartment building in Reseda early Friday morning.
The blaze was reported at 3:15 a.m. at the three-story Kingswood Village Apartments located in the 17800 block of Sherman Way.
Several residents were evacuated, while others sheltered in place. The fire started on the first floor and spread to the top floor.
Resident Jason Young shot video of the flames after fleeing with his girlfriend, their cat and his violin. He and his neighbors initially tried to put out the flames while others pounded on doors.
"I just remember hearing a lot of commotion and pounding, opened the window, and I could see the fire coming from the unit down below," Young said.
"I was asleep and I heard somebody bang on our door and say, 'fire, fire, get out', and we just rushed out, we threw anything on, me and my husband," tenant Phylicia Hartfield-Mickens added.
Ninety-six firefighters responded and extinguished the bulk of the fire within about one hour, the Los Angeles Fire Department reports. Three apartments were completely destroyed and another five suffered smoke damage.
A man in his 60s who was alone in a first-floor unit was rushed to a hospital with severe burns.
"Requiring advanced life support, he's been transported to the hospital with significant burn injuries," LAFD Assistant Chief JD Drake said.
A woman was treated at the scene with minor injuries.
The cause is under investigation.
