1 dead, 2 critically injured after fire rips through Boyle Heights home, LAFD says

BOYLE HEIGHTS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- One person is dead and two others critically injured after a fire ripped through a home in Boyle Heights.

The fire was reported around around 4:30 a.m. Thursday on St. Louis Street, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Because of the amount of flames coming from the front of the home and structural damage, firefighters had to enter from the rear of the home.

"There was some excessive storage inside the home. At this time, it's unknown if there are smoke detectors that were working inside there," said LAFD Captain Adam VanGerpen.

Officials say there were a total of five people in the single-story home.

After firefighters arrived, two of them were pulled out of the fire and taken to the hospital in critical condition. A third person was found dead on the front porch of the home.

The remaining two people were already out of the home when firefighters arrived and were medically evaluated at the scene. One of them was later taken to the hospital in fair condition.

Arson investigators, the coroner and the mayor's crisis response team were on scene to assist the family that lived there. The American Red Cross was also notified.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, but fire officials said it's always good to check smoke detectors in your own home.