Man Dies, Roommate Burned When Oil in Pan Begins Blaze
A man was killed and his roommate severely burned Sunday when a pan of cooking oil erupted in fire after the two had falled asleep, authorities said.
The victims were sleeping in a four-car garage in southwest Los Angeles that had been converted to living quarters, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Bob Collis said. The garage had no smoke detectors.
Killed in the fire was a 42-year-old man whose identity could not be determined immediately, said Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Jesse James.
The second man was conscious when firefighters arrived about 7:10 a.m. at the garage in the 800 block of West 41st Street, Collis said.
The survivor, 42, suffered second-degree burns over nearly half of his upper body and was listed in critical condition at California Medical Center-Los Angeles, according to a nursing supervisor.
The man’s name was not released.
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