Fire crews found an elderly man’s body after putting out a blaze at a Lakewood home Tuesday afternoon, according to authorities.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department got a call about the blaze and possibly someone trapped inside the home that was on fire just a few minutes after 1 p.m., according to authorities.

Crews were originally sent to the wrong address but quickly saw the smoke and headed to the correct house in the 5900 block of Briercrest Avenue, L.A. County Fire Inspector Brian Stevens said.

L.A. County Firefighters at the scene of a house fire in the 5900 block of Briercrest Avenue in Lakewood, where an elderly male was found deceased, after fighters extinguished a fire. Photo by Stephen Carr.

Firefighters were able to quickly douse the flames burning inside the home’s living area, according to Stevens.

“When they did so, they found an elderly male deceased in the property,” he said.

It’s not clear yet whether the fire killed the man or what caused the fire.

The sheriff’s department, fire department and coroner’s office are all investigating, Stevens.

L.A. County Firefighters at the scene of a house fire. Photo by Stephen Carr.
L.A. County Firefighters at the scene of a house fire. Photo by Stephen Carr.
L.A. County Firefighters at the scene of a house fire. Photo by Stephen Carr.
L.A. County Firefighters at the scene of a house fire. Photo by Stephen Carr.

Jeremiah Dobruck is executive editor of the Long Beach Post where he oversees all day-to-day newsroom operations. In his time working as a journalist in Long Beach, he’s won numerous awards for his investigative reporting and editing. Before coming to the Post in 2018, he wrote for publications including the Press-Telegram, Orange County Register and Los Angeles Times. Reach him at [email protected] or @jeremiahdobruck on Twitter.