Man Killed, Brother Injured in Lake View Terrace House Fire

A man was killed and his brother was injured in a Lake View Terrace house fire Thursday morning, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported.

The blaze was reported just before 10:30 a.m. in the 1100 block of North Hunnewell Avenue. The fire at the 1,380-square foot, single-story home took about 20 minutes to put out. Firefighters had to punch holes in the roof to let some of the heat out. One of the victims was found inside the burning home and declared dead at the scene, LAFD officials said in an alert. Aerial video from Sky5 showed the victim being pulled out of the home by firefighters. The firefighters tried life-saving measures on the man, but they eventually placed a white sheet over him, aerial video showed. Family members identified the victim as Clifford “Franky” Miles, 59.

The victim’s brother was found in the back yard with smoke inhalation and minor burns. Fire officials said he was attempting to put out the “intense flames” with a garden hose. The injured brother was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life threatening. A pet dog was also injured in the fire, but was found safe in the yard. Terrolynn Turner, the victims’ sister, said the incident was “really heartbreaking.” “I’m still in shock right now,” she told KTLA. Correy Kitchens, the victims’ brother, described Miles as someone who “told jokes left and right.” “(He) never had an issue with anyone,” Kitchens said. “A great individual. Always charismatic.” The cause of the fire is under investigation. Officials said they did not believe the home was equipped with working fire detectors.