Woman Is Found Dead After Small Fire in Apartment

A 47-year-old woman was found dead Tuesday inside a courtyard apartment by firefighters called to put out a small fire in South-Central Los Angeles, authorities said.

Three other people taking part in a Fourth of July barbecue in the courtyard in the 800 block of West 82nd Street were hurt in the confusion that accompanied the blaze inside the apartment, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Bob Collis.

The identity of the woman and the cause of her death were not immediately determined.

The injured victims included a woman in the courtyard, who had minor burns , and a woman and her 6-month-old baby, who suffered scrapes when she tripped and fell while running across the courtyard with the infant in her arms.

Firefighters discovered the body of the victim inside the dwelling after extinguishing the flames. It appeared that the woman was trying to escape the blaze when she died, Collis said.

The cause of the fire was under investigation late Tuesday afternoon, he said.