Man dies after South L.A. car fire; officials believe the blaze was intentional

A 40-year-old man died after he was pulled by firefighters from a burning car in South Los Angeles over the weekend, authorities said.

The victim was not identified and investigators did not explain what the man was doing in the car, except to say they believe the “vehicle was set on fire.” The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

On Sunday morning at 1:39 a.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department fielded a call about a vehicle fire in South L.A. The first unit arrived four minutes later “to discover a vehicle ablaze” on East 102nd Street near Avalon Boulevard, said LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey.

“The fire was quickly extinguished and confined to the vehicle,” he said.

At the scene, a “male, 40 years old, conscious and breathing” was recovered from the vehicle, said Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Melissa Podany.

Investigators believe that the “vehicle was set on fire,” she said. Police were not releasing information on a suspect.

The victim was “transported to [the] hospital in critical condition,” arriving there at 2:18 a.m., according to Humphreys.

Later in the day, he succumbed to his injuries, officials said.