The fire was reported about 8:30 a.m. at a multi-level structure in the 300 block of North Electric Avenue, according to a statement issued by the Los Angeles Fire Department.
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The sound of screaming and the smell of smoke prompted neighbors to rush to help.
Firefighters arrived at the scene to find multiple people hanging from a second-level window.
A family of seven was transported to a hospital along with a good Samaritan. Which of the eight patients were in critical condition was unclear.
The ages of the victims were not immediately available.
Twenty-three other residents of the building were displaced by the incident. Fire officials were working with the Red Cross to provide temporary housing for them.
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The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but police say it started on the bottom unit and worked its way up.