WESTLAKE, Calif. --
A man was found dead after fire crews were sent Wednesday to quell a pre-dawn fire at a three-story residential building in Westlake, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported.
Eleven people were displaced by the blaze in the 700 block of South Westlake Avenue, which was reported at 4:07 a.m., said fire department spokesperson Brian Humphrey.
Seventy-one firefighters were sent to the scene, and the fire was declared out at 4:26 a.m., Humphrey said. The flames were confined to one room on the second floor.
While battling the fire, firefighters discovered the body of a man inside the room where the fire started. The man, whose name was not released, was "found deceased," said Firefighter David Ortiz.
A 46-year-old resident with shortness of breath and singed hair told firefighters he tried to drag his 60-year-old neighbor -- the reported fatality -- to safety but was driven back by the heat and smoke, Humphrey said.
Two children and nine adults living in the 10-unit building were displaced by the fire and referred to the American Red Cross for placement assistance, he said.
The apartment where the blaze began did not appear to have functioning smoke alarms as required by law, Humphrey said, adding that the building was not equipped with fire sprinklers.
Damages were estimated at $50,000 to the structure and $5,000 to contents, Humphrey said.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation.
