Woman hospitalized after house fire in South Los Angeles

A woman is in grave condition after firefighters rescued her from a blaze in a Vermont Square house Monday morning, authorities said.

The Los Angeles Fire Department received multiple calls of a fire in the 4100 block of Denker Avenue at 8:33 a.m. On their way to the house, firefighters received reports of a woman trapped inside, said LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey.

“They discovered the woman, she appeared lifeless, they pulled her out of a window on … to the arms of waiting rescuers, who found her to be pulseless and not breathing,” he said.

The woman, who is about 40, was transported to a hospital and was in grave condition as of 10 a.m., Humphrey said. “The odds are against her but we’re hoping for a miraculous recovery.”

Six people live in the three-bedroom, one-story house built in 1913, but it’s unclear how many were inside when the fire started, or why the woman couldn’t escape, he said. At least one person was alerted and able to escape because of the smoke alarm.

In 22 minutes, 39 firefighters had extinguished the flames, Humphrey said.

There is heavy damage to the home, and L.A. City Fire made arrangements with the American Red Cross to help up to six people, Humphrey said.

Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the fire.

Reach Sonali Kohli at Sonali.Kohli@latimes.com or on Twitter @Sonali_Kohli.