Man escapes flames, but dies going back for his belongings, California officials say

A man died after dashing back inside a burning duplex he’d just escaped to retrieve his belongings, California firefighters reported.

Four residents initially escaped the fire around 3 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 24, in the Mission Hills neighborhood, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a news release.

When firefighters summoned by a neighbor’s 911 call arrived, they learned one of them had gone back inside after his belongings and did not come out, officials said.

Flames and heavy smoke were showing when firefighters arrived, officials said. The 32 firefighters at the scene extinguished the fire in about 22 minutes.

Firefighters found the man’s body inside the burned house, officials said. A woman who escaped the fire was taken to a hospital for smoke inhalation.

No other injuries were reported. No smoke alarms were found inside the home, officials said, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The man’s identity will be released by the medical examiner’s office, firefighters said.

Mission Hills is about 25 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley.

This story was originally published January 24, 2024 at 11:51 AM with the headline "Man escapes flames, but dies going back for his belongings, California officials say."