A 99-year-old man was badly burned and is in critical condition after a house fire that occurred in the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles Friday.
Firefighters responded around 6 p.m. to the single-story home at 3865 West Blvd. near Martin Luther King Blvd.
The only occupant of the home was a 99-year-old man. Active flames and pack-rat conditions made it difficult to locate the man, according to the LA Fire Department.
"When you walk through, it’s hard to even hit the ground, there’s so much debris around there, which makes it difficult obviously then for somebody, especially an elderly person, to perhaps escape," LAFD Capt. Erik Scott said.
The home also appeared to not have a functioning smoke alarm, according to Scott.
"Somebody inside would get that early detection and they’d be able to know before the conditions got untamable and would be able to escape safely," Scott said.
Rescuers offered the man CPR and rushed him to the hospital.
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Neighbors describe the victim as a long-time resident, who was familiar, and able-bodied.
The exact cause of the fire is under investigation.
