AUGUST 16, 2015
By Carlos Lozano
Los Angeles Fire Department
One man was killed and another injured after fire engulfed a converted garage in Van Nuys early Sunday, authorities said.
A neighbor reported the fire in the 14000 block of Victory Boulevard about 4:35 a.m., according to a statement from the Los Angeles Fire Department. The fire was in a garage that had been converted into an apartment behind a one-story home.
A man living in the home attempted to rescue the occupant of the apartment but was forced to abandon the effort because of the fast-growing fire, authorities said.
After arriving on the scene, firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze and found the body of the unidentified victim inside the structure, authorities said.
His would-be rescuer, who was not identified, was transported to a hospital, where he was treated for smoke exposure and minor burns to his arms, officials said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.