1 person found dead in Echo Park apartment fire

ECHO PARK, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- One person was found dead following an apartment fire that erupted in Echo Park Tuesday morning, according to officials from the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Firefighters responded at about 7:30 a.m. to a unit in a four-story apartment complex in the 900 block of W. College Street in the Victor Heights area.

One adult was found dead and burned beyond recognition in the first-floor fire unit, which fire officials said had working smoke alarms but no fire sprinklers.

It took 82 firefighters about 27 minutes to knock down the blaze, fire officials said.

One other person was evaluated for smoke exposure and was released at the scene. No other injuries were reported.

A number of residents were displaced and left the scene quickly, but fire officials said some neighbors stayed behind to try and rescue the person who died in the fire.

Neighbor Josh Adams described his attempt to save the victim from the burning unit.

"I ran over to the elevator and there was the fire hose there...turned that on and yeah, I could only spray into the second floor, which was right above it, but I was doing what I could before the firefighters got there...," he said.

He added that the person who died was a woman in her 60s living by herself. He said she was quiet, nice and friendly.

Residents who were rushed out of the apartment complex were later allowed to return home.

The cause of the blaze and the person's death was under investigation, according to LAFD officials.