Elderly Woman Dies of Burn Injuries After 'Packrat' House Fire

An 81-year-old woman died from burns suffered during a fire in a South L.A. home. Authorities have deemed the single-story house fire, which occurred on Tuesday, "unintentional." The woman was trapped among "packrat storage of personal belongings," according to a LAFD release.

The physically handicapped victim was discovered and immediately extricated, treated for her burn injuries on-scene then rushed to L.A. County USC Medical Center. She died from her burns on Wednesday at the USC Burn Unit.

The fire was extinguished in twelve minutes by 45 firefighters. The home was not equipped with smoke alarms or residential fire sprinklers.

The LAFD has determined the floor furnace as the origin of the fire, "where numerous combustibles were located." Authorities do not know if the woman owned the home.