House Fire Kills Arleta Woman and 7-Year-Old Daughter

An Arleta woman and her 7-year-old daughter were killed in a house fire early New Year’s morning, officials said.

The victims were identified by relatives as Mercedes Tenorio and her daughter, Linda Alvarez. Survivors said they last saw Linda trying to warn others about the fire.

Five others survived the blaze, although one man, identified by authorities as Severo Gutierrez, 26, was severely injured.

“He was trying to get back into the house to get others out when we arrived,” Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Bob Collis said. “He had to be restrained.”

Gutierrez was taken to Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills and transferred to the burn unit at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. A hospital spokesman said Gutierrez was in intensive care suffering from severe smoke inhalation. He was also badly burned.

The other injured people, including a firefighter who was burned on his face and a hand, were treated and released. The fire, which caused an estimated $125,000 damage to the single-story home in the 9900 block of Beachy Avenue, was under investigation, Collis said.

Tenorio and her daughter were unable to escape from the house, which quickly filled with smoke, fire officials said.