Firefighters battling Lakeview Terrace house fire find man dead, brother injured

LAKEVIEW TERRACE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- One man was killed and his adult brother was hospitalized after a fire erupted Thursday morning at a single-story home in Lakeview Terrace, authorities said.

The blaze was reported at 10:17 a.m. at a single-story house in the 11300 block of Hunnewell Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Twenty-six firefighters extinguished the flames in less than 20 minutes.

Firefighters located the two brothers while searching the 1,380-square foot structure, which was built in 1960, the LAFD said. The deceased victim's body was found inside the home. The man was identified by his family as 59-year-old Clifford "Franky" Miles.

"It's painful, and just being you know shocked, I'm not sure what happened," said the victim's sister, Terrolynn Turner. "Just to see the reality that his body was out there, that was really heart breaking just to see his body."

The surviving man, who suffered smoke inhalation and minor burns, was discovered in the backyard "after reportedly attempting to battle the intense flames with a garden hose" the Fire Department said in a statement.

He was taken to a hospital with injuries that were described as not life-threatening.

The family's pet dog, which was safely confined in the yard, escaped injury.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.