Man Killed In Echo Park Fire Went Back Inside Burning Home To Save Roommates, Friends Say

ECHO PARK (CBSLA.com) — Messages offering condolences and flowers were placed outside the burned down Echo Park home days after a fatal fire claimed the life of one person and left four others injured.

"They're just really warm, welcoming people that just mean so much to a lot of people and a lot of bands around Los Angeles," Liz Tooley, the victims' friend, said.

Friends say three of the victims are integral parts of the music scene in Echo Park.

B.G. Brixton and Wrecks Brixton, twin brothers, were injured in the fire. They're in a band called The GROMS.

Sammy Winston, a poet and musician and their roommate, was killed. Friends say he ran into the burning rental home to save his roommates.

"Everybody was asleep. He went back in and got people awake and brought them out. So, it's pretty amazing," she said.

Wrecks Brixton spoke with CBS2 about the fatal fire, and too credits Winston with saving his life.

"I would not be here at all. I wouldn't have woken up," Brixton said.

He says Winston went from room to room of their two-story rental home waking his roommates when the fire broke out.

"It took about 20 seconds for me to get out of the house and in that 20 seconds, the entire house was gone," he said.

Friends are raising money and asking for donations of clothing and toiletries for the survivors who lost everything in the fire.

Both Lolipop Records in Echo Park and Permanent Records in Highland Park are accepting drop-offs.

"I think they are going to need help replacing pretty much everything. I know that they were borrowing as much as like socks and underwear yesterday," Tooley said.

A fundraising page has also been set-up with donations almost doubling the $5,000 goal in just 24 hours. For more information, click here.

"There are just wonderful people that are caring and giving and I think that it just goes to show how amazing they are that so many people have reached out to help," she said.

The cause of the July 4 fire in the 800 block of Alvarado Street is still under investigation. The Fire Department says they are looking into whether there were working smoke detectors.