Woman, 82, Dead In Carson House Fire
CARSON (CBS) — Officials said an 82-year-old woman died Saturday evening during a fire in Carson.
LA County Fire confirmed to CBS2 and KCAL9 that a woman died at the residence in the 900 block of E. 222nd st.
The victim died at the scene, according to Malanie Flores of the Los Angeles County Fire department.
The blaze was reported at 5:40 p.m. and was knocked down in about 20 minutes, LA County Fire told CBS2 and KCAL9.
Rachel Kim spoke to the woman's son. He said his mom, identified as Leticia Hatfield, has lived in the house since 1966.
Kirk Hatfield was driving to the home, for a family dinner, when he saw the smoke in the distance.
"I was coming up Avalon, when I saw the smoke. And I thought, 'Man, that looks pretty close to my mom's house. I hope that's not my mom's.'"
Hatfield said he arrived to find the door open. "But the screen door was locked. So, I put my key in to open it, but the flames were too intense. The flames were so hot, I couldn't go in."
Firefighters found the woman deceased in her kitchen.
The victim shared the home with her grandson, Kirk's 21-year-old son, Kim reported.
Kirk Hatfield described his mother as "a good Christian lady."
It hadn't yet hit him that he lost his mother. "It all seems so unreal," he said, "I don't think it's hit me yet. Trust in God. I'm going to trust in God to help me."
Fire officials continue to investigate the cause of the blaze.
(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
