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Inglewood blaze kills one

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Inglewood, CA — Elderly residents at the Regency Towers senior citizen complex in Inglewood were evacuated Saturday when an apartment fire killed one resident and injured 17 others.

About 80 seniors, some in wheelchairs, were evacuated by firefighters from the senior 100-unit, seven story housing complex as a wall of thick smoke swirled through the complex. Eight residents were treated for injuries ranging from smoke inhalation to minor cuts and scratches.

Among those injured were nine Inglewood police officers who were training at a nearby facility and rushed to the scene to help evacuate occupants from the towers.

Firefighters arrived around 12:20 p.m. and took 17 minutes to extinguish the blaze at the complex located on North Locust Street, which started inside a third-floor apartment and spread to the balcony.

Firefighters extinguished the flames and discovered the badly burned body of an elderly man lying next to a wheelchair. His name has not been released.

Several firefighters were treated at a local hospital for smoke inhalation.

Residents were moved to an emergency shelter in Rogers Park, where members of the Red Cross provided cots, food and supplies.

According to Red Cross client case work supervisor Melissa Crews, most of the residents were moved to the homes of relatives, with only 17 remaining at Rogers Park.

“I spent Monday morning with the residents and they’re doing very well,” said Crews. “They are all in good spirits. They receive breakfast and coffee and most spend their time watching TV. We are awaiting a date when the residents can return to the Regency Towers. There’s a power outage at the complex, which is why the occupants cannot return. The Red Cross is working with the building manager to get everything expedited,” said Crews.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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