Careless Smoking Blamed for Fatal Home Fire
A 75-year-old man died early Tuesday after a fire engulfed his home at 954 W. 20th St.
Firefighters received a call shortly after 3:30 a.m. that the house was ablaze, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey.
“It took 20 firefighters 14 minutes to extinguish the blaze,” Humphrey said.
Inside the house, firefighters found the elderly man, whose identity has not been released. Damage was estimated at $40,000.
The fire was caused by careless smoking, officials said. National statistics show that smoking is the No. 1 cause of fire fatalities.
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