Authorities say the former employee, 54-year-old David Edward Albert, who was fired a week ago from Passive Arts Studios, a well-known bondage club, is charged with murder and arson.
The fire broke out at the club at approximately 11:30 a.m., on Tuesday. L.A. County Fire officials are calling the fire "suspicious."
When firefighters arrived at the commercial building located at 10914 S. La Cienega Boulevard they made a forceable entry and put out the fire in 25 minutes.
According to fire officials, the fire was in the office area of the building.
Upon a secondary search they found the body and a dog. The man, who was in his 50s, had been burned, but it was unclear if that was the cause of death.
Officials are not releasing the cause of death until an autopsy is completed. His name was withheld pending notification of his next of kin.
Authorities say that the man was the owner of Passive Arts Studios. The club's website describes it as the nation's largest, most elegant and best equipped dungeon. The site also says that the studio is filled with state-of-the-art equipment and seven complete theme rooms.
Ivan Daniel, an event planner, is familiar with the club.
"It has the feel of a film studio but you could tell there was a little bit more going on than meets the eye," he said.
Paramedics say another man was treated at the scene for minor injuries.
The fire created a traffic problem in the area. Police closed off S. La Cienega Boulevard between Century Boulevard and Imperial Highway while they investigated.
City News Service contributed to this report.
