Man Severely Burned in Car Fire
A man was burned over most of his body Sunday morning after his car caught fire in Northridge, authorities said.
The man, reportedly in his 30s and whose name was not disclosed, sustained third-degree burns over more than 95% of his body and suffered smoke inhalation, said Larry Weinberg, a spokesman for the Grossman Burn Center at Sherman Oaks Hospital.
“He is in extremely critical condition,” Weinberg said of the victim, who was not conscious when he arrived at the hospital. “This is a grave injury of an extent which few people survive.”
Witnesses reported seeing a man engulfed in flames get out of a Chevrolet Camaro about 11:30 a.m. near Balboa Boulevard and Superior Street, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Jim Wells said.
Bystanders had put out the fire on the man by the time firefighters arrived. The car was still burning.
“They basically rolled him up in blankets to put the flames out,” Wells said.
No cause of the fire has been established, he said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
