Woman found dead at Granada Hills homeless encampment after brush fire erupts
A woman was found dead Tuesday morning in a homeless encampment where a brush fire erupted near the 118 Freeway in Granada Hills, fire officials said.
The blaze started at 10:34 a.m. in a homeless camp near the Balboa Boulevard exit of the 118, according to Amy Bastman, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. The encampment was surrounded by brush.
When firefighters arrived, they found flames burning dangerously close to a gas station and its fuel pumps, said Capt. Erik Scott, another LAFD spokesman. As the fire spread, flames scorched portions of the gas station’s roof.
But 26 firefighters worked quickly and doused the fire in 11 minutes, Scott said.
The woman’s body was found near a wall separating the encampment and the gas station, fire officials said.
Arson investigators were combing the scene for clues and examining burn patterns to determine what sparked the fire, he said. Investigators gathered surveillance camera footage from nearby buildings and talked to witnesses, Scott said.
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UPDATES:
1:20 p.m.: This article was updated with details about the origin of the fire in a homeless encampment.
12:15 p.m.: This article was updated with fire officials reporting that they found a woman’s body.
This article was originally published at 11:50 a.m.
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