The body of a middle-aged man was found by firefighters before sunrise Thursday after they knocked down a fire in a two-story commercial building in University Park.
Firefighters were called at 2:24 a.m to 806 W. Adams Blvd., between Figueroa and Hoover streets, where they found flames engulfing the front of the 150-by-200-foot building, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey.
It took 92 firefighters one hour and 53 minutes to knock down the flames, then they discovered a middle-aged man critically burned. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Firefighters worked several hours methodically searching the premises, including pumping a large volume of water from the basement, Humphrey said. No additional victims were discovered.
It was unclear what sparked the fire, and the cause remains under investigation.
The name of the victim was withheld pending notification of relatives by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.