A body was found Saturday in the aftermath an explosive fire in a detached garage in the West Adams area of South Los Angeles.
Firefighters were initially dispatched at 5:32 a.m. Saturday to the detached garage at 2421 S. Ninth Ave., “fully involved with fire and explosions,” Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Jamie Stewart said.
The home is situated between the Santa Monica (10) Freeway to the north, and West Adams Boulevard to the south.
The firefighters waged a defensive battle outside the garage and had the flames out at 5:52 a.m., Stewart said.
Cadaver dogs were dispatched to the scene and a body was discovered, the Los Angeles Police Department stated.
A description of the body was not immediately made public.
The LAPD sent its bomb squad to the scene and LAFD sent arson investigators, Stewart said.
A loud explosion was heard with fireworks going off, according to an LAPD spokesman. “Commercial-grade fireworks” were recovered.
The body was located inside a studio apartment behind the garage, according to NBC4. A woman who lives near the garage said there was an explosion that broke windows and felt like an earthquake. She said a man in his 20s lived in the apartment.
People who lived near the garage were evacuated while the fireworks were cleared, according to the station.
Paramedics evaluated a 30-year-old woman for an unknown injury, Stewart said. It was not known whether she was taken to a hospital for treatment.