Teen Killed in Reseda House Fire
Firefighters Blame Lack of Smoke Detectors for Death
An early morning fire in Reseda that firefighters say could have been prevented.
Firefighters say it took only eight minutes to put out the flames. Once they did, they found the body of a 16-year-old boy and three 100-pound dogs in a small, 800 sq. ft. guesthouse. There were no smoke detectors.
Firefighters believe the fire started as a small smoldering and then grew to consume the whole unit. They also believe the teen died after passing out because of the smoke. His body was in a bed when firefighters found it.
Arson investigators have not determined a cause. Early Friday, LAPD pushed media crews back from the scene claiming a homicide had occurred there. Firefighters denied the notion.
The teen apparently lived alone with his mother and the dogs. Firefighters say she was not home when the fire broke out and is now getting assistance from city crisis counselors.
