A fire Wednesday evening at a house in Wilmington left a 61-year-old man hospitalized with serious injuries.
The fire was reported about 7:50 p.m. at a one-story home in the 1100 block of Broad Avenue, according to Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Fire crews passing by the neighborhood while responding to another, minor fire saw smoke coming from the home.
The injured man, who had been outside the home, saw the fire and ran inside to battle the flames, but was quickly overcome by smoke and collapsed, Humphrey said.
“The first arriving LAFD engine crew found and rescued the seemingly lifeless man during their initial entry into the heavily smoke-charged structure, carrying him from the 1,452-square foot home and providing him with lifesaving care to return his breathing and consciousness (where he later and with some difficulty explained his earlier actions),” Humphrey said.
“He has been taken by LAFD paramedics to an area hospital in serious condition with smoke inhalation and possibly minor burns.”
Fifty-nine firefighters took 16 minutes to extinguish the blaze, Humphrey said.
“Never return into a burning home,” said LAFD Battalion Chief Daniel Curry. “If you’re in a burning building, get low and get (out) by crawling if necessary, to stay beneath hot and deadly smoke. When you get out — stay out.”