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Deadly apartment building fire, explosion under investigation
Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire that resulted in an explosion at an apartment building in Bell Gardens Wednesday morning. One person was killed and two others injured.
BELL GARDENS, Calif. - An explosion and intense fire at a Bell Gardens apartment complex left a child and an adult injured, displaced multiple families, and is now being investigated as a death case after a body was found inside the building.
What we know:
The explosion happened Tuesday evening at a two-story apartment complex in the 6500 block of Purdy Avenue, near the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Gage Avenue.
Los Angeles County Fire Department crews were dispatched just after 6 p.m. and arrived within minutes to find heavy fire conditions at the building. Firefighters fought the blaze defensively as flames tore through the structure.
More than 60 firefighters responded to the scene. The fire was knocked down around 7:06 p.m., roughly an hour after crews arrived.
Video from witnesses showed flames shooting into the sky. A neighbor captured the massive blast on surveillance footage.
Authorities later confirmed that a body was found inside the apartment building. That victim is consistent with earlier reports of a 13-year-old boy who was unaccounted for during the fire, pending official identification.
Fire officials confirmed two other people were transported to the hospital. A child was listed in stable condition, while an adult remained in critical condition.
At least four families were displaced after the building was damaged and later red-tagged.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department says the case is now being handled as a death investigation.
Dig deeper:
Materials consistent with homemade explosives and fireworks were found during their initial investigation, according to a press release.
Detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Special Enforcement Bureau — Arson and Explosives Detail responded to the scene and are aiding in the investigation.
What we don't know:
Investigators have not released the identity of the deceased or said whether the person lived in the apartment building.
The Source: This report is based on official statements from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.