Flames raced through a single-family home in Highland Park overnight, as authorities discovered one person dead.
The home was red-tagged after it was completely consumed by the fire that began at 11:30 p.m. Monday night in the 200 block of S Avenue 52.
By morning, the home was a smoking husk.
The LA County Coroner will reveal the cause of death, which wasn't clear amid the investigation, though it was assumed the person died in the fire.
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The victim was identified by the coroner as 29-year-old Mark Olmedo.
Witness Kylar Loya said he saw the fire, and tried to help. When he pulled open the door, he was puzzled by what he found.
"There was no furniture inside, but the radio was on. And then a bunch of kids started climbing in, trying to get stuff from the house. I don't know if they were trying to save the guy that allegedly lives in there," Loya said.
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There are three units on the property, and it appears the first unit that burned was a duplex.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
LAPD said it "did appear there were functional smoke detectors present."
