Person found dead in Eagle Rock house fire

A person died Friday at the scene of a house fire in the Eagle Rock area after going back into the burning building.

Firefighters sent to the 1400 block of West Hepner Avenue at 8:05 a.m. extinguished the flames in the single-story building in about a half-hour and prevented them from spreading to other homes, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

“Three occupants escaped, but sadly, one person was found deceased inside the structure,” Nicholas Prange of the LAFD said in a statement. “No other residents or firefighters were injured.”

Information was not immediately available on the identity of the fatally injured person.

Witnesses told firefighters that the fatally injured person went back into the burning building, KTLA5 reported.

“Don’t go back in once you made it out safely, because things like this do happen,” LAFD Firefighter David Ortiz told KTLA5. “Statistically, people who do go back in increase the chances of dying in (a) fire.”

Investigators were working to determine the cause of the fire, including whether a space heater might have been a factor, Ortiz said.

“Witnesses reported no audible sounds of smoke alarms coming from inside the home,” Nicholas Prange of the LAFD said in a statement.

“This serves as a sobering reminder to make sure that your living space — wherever it is — is equipped with functional smoke alarms to provide early notification of smoke/fire danger,” Prange said.

“While the exact circumstances remain unclear at this time, firefighters want you to remember to have an emergency plan in place with your family or others you live with, including a meeting location outside of the home, and to quickly get out and stay out,” Prange said.

“It is never a good idea to enter a burning building with no firefighting equipment to protect you,” Prange said.

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