Fumes Kill 1, Injure 3 and Force Evacuation of 200.

An elderly tenant of a downtown Los Angeles apartment building died Tuesday night and three others were in critical condition after inhaling toxic fumes that prompted firefighters to evacuate 200 residents, officials said.

Fire officials said they had not determined what caused the death and injuries in the 44-unit apartment building at 301 S. Witmer St. But Fire Division Chief Pete Lucarelli said firefighters obtained “high readings” of carbon monoxide on three of the building’s four floors.

He said investigators were checking a furnace in the building’s basement to see if there might have been a defective vent.

“That happens a lot at this time of the year,” he said.

Lucarelli said officials feel the incident was weather related “because everybody turns up their heater this time of the year.”

Kevin Lynch, the building owner’s brother, said a new gas furnace was installed just a few months ago.

The unidentified dead man, described as a long-time resident who was about 75, lived in an apartment directly above the furnace. The injured tenants lived in apartments directly above his, fire officials said. The three were taken to Good Samaritan Hospital for treatment.

Tenant Miriam Orellana, 19, said she knew nothing of the 9 p.m. incident until firefighters “knocked on our door and told us to get out. I couldn’t smell anything.”

But Ramon Solorio, 25, said he was “already sick when the firemen knocked on my door. I could smell gas and it made me throw up.”

Fire officials requested that the Red Cross house the tenants for the evening.

“I don’t want these people to go back into this apartment house tonight,” Lucarelli said.