Costa Mesa house fire kills elderly resident

COSTA MESA, Calif. (KABC) -- An elderly resident was found dead Tuesday after firefighters knocked down a fire at a Costa Mesa house. A second person was able to make it out alive.

Fire crews responded to the single-family home in the 1600 block of Oahu Place at 6:29 a.m. and found heavy fire and smoke. Authorities believe the fire began in the front room, where a woman in her 70s was found. The woman was not identified pending notification of next of kin.

A man in his late 30s or early 40s escaped the fire on his own. It was unclear if the man was a renter or a visitor. He was staying in a tent in the back yard.

Firefighters said they encountered "pack-rat" conditions in the room where the victim was found.

Neighbors said the owner of the home was a chain smoker, but it was not yet clear if a lit cigarette was the cause of the fire. The cause of the fire was under investigation.