Man's body found in fire at Westchester duplex

Man found dead in fire at Westchester home

A man was found dead after a fire broke out in the garage of a Westchester duplex. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

LOS ANGELES - Firefighters discovered a man's body Sunday while overhauling a fire inside a rear occupancy at a two-story duplex in Westchester.

The 18 firefighters dispatched at 8:23 a.m. to 8042 S. Alverstone Ave., one block west of Sepulveda Boulevard, had the blaze out within 30 minutes of their arrival, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported.

The fire was in a garage to the rear of the single-family dwelling with a small, attached occupancy, the LAFD said.

"An adult male was believed to be in the unit and was unaccounted for upon fire extinguishment," the LAFD's Margaret Stewart said. "Due to the amount of storage, it took significant amount of overhaul to permit a search of the occupancy."

The cause of the fire was under investigation, Stewart said.