Woman Injured in Venice House Fire

VENICE, CA -- A woman suffered severe smoke inhalation Thursday in an early morning house fire in Venice.

The blaze broke out around 12:20 a.m. at 658 E. Flower Ave. and was knocked down by 36 firefighters in 25 minutes, said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The woman was taken to a hospital in serious condition, he said.

The patient told LAFD paramedics she was awakened by a smoke alarm, "which gave her the critical seconds necessary to evacuate prior to the fire department's arrival," Humphrey said.

The fire was confined to the rear of the 868-square-foot one-story home, where there was "excessive personal storage," Humphrey said. The home was built in 1923, he added.

The cause of the fire was under investigation and the loss was being tabulated.

City News Service