Fire at vacant Boyle Heights home leaves 1 dead

LOS ANGELES - An investigation continues after a body was found at an abandoned single-story home in Boyle Heights early Wednesday morning, fire authorities said. 

An official with the Los Angeles Fire Department said the blaze was reported just before 1:20 a.m. by a  911 caller regarding the fire at the boarded-up home on the 100 block of North Matthews Street, located near the intersection of 1st and Soto streets. 

Fire crews quickly made access and deployed hose lines inside the structure, the LAFD said. Thirty-four firefighters responded to the blaze before it was declared a knockdown by 1:48 a.m. After extinguishing the flames and performing a search of the interior, firefighters found a man who appeared in his 40s deceased in a rear bedroom of the home. 

Neighbors told FOX 11 off camera the home was prone to being broken into by unsheltered residents who would shack up inside. 

LAFD Arson units are investigating the cause. There was no information provided on the identity of the deceased or if the vacant structure was being used as a temporary shelter when the fire started. 

According to a recent report, the city was considering the property for affordable housing plans.