Two siblings were dead following a house fire in El Monte Thursday night, fire officials and neighbors said.
The fire broke out at 10:04 p.m. in the 12300 block of Felipe Street, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Another man reportedly escaped the fire unharmed.
Neighbors said three siblings, all in their 60s or older, lived at the home.
"They've been here since they were kids," said Baldomaro Garcia, a friend of the victims.
Garcia said the homeowners would often light fires on their lot.
The siblings who died were identified by family and friends as Dave and Margie Gutierrez.
"He was just trying to stay warm and thought it was OK to light a fire in a trash can," Garcia said.
Firefighters said "pack rat" conditions in the house made putting out the fire more difficult. It took 30 firefighters to knock down the blaze at 10:27 p.m.
Friends remembered the siblings as kind, generous people.
"They were really great people," said friend Deborah Garcia.
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The cause of the fire was under investigation. It was unclear if the home was equipped with a working smoke detector.
Officials said the blaze served as a reminder for Southern Californians to test smoke detectors and make an escape plan.
"The average is two minutes people have to get out of their homes," said Ben Green of the American Red Cross.
The American Red Cross is giving away and installing 10,000 smoke detectors in the El Monte area this year. It plans to install another round on Nov. 14.
Beverly White, Rick Montanez and Corey Arvin contributed to this report.
