Man dead after fire erupts at off-campus student housing complex near USC

UNIVERSITY PARK, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A man is dead after a fire erupted at an off-campus student housing complex near USC Tuesday afternoon.

Nearly 50 firefighters responded to the Heritage Student Housing apartment building at 2353 S. Portland St. in University Park, a mile away from USC.

While searching the building, a man in his 50s was found in the second-floor unit that was burning, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not been released.

It took firefighters 19 minutes to extinguish the blaze. A knockdown was reported shortly after 2 p.m.

The building also houses non-students. All tenants, except for those living in three units impacted by the blaze, were allowed to return home.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.