Man, 64, detained, questioned in Southern California house fire that left 3 dead

Authorities detained a 64-year-old man in connection with a deadly house fire Sunday that left three people dead and another two injured, authorities confirmed to KTLA.

Firefighters with the L.A. County Fire Department were dispatched to a house located at 6038 Sultana Avenue in Temple City just before 5 p.m. on reports of the blaze, fire officials confirmed to KTLA.

In footage of the scene obtained by KTLA, fire crews were seen on the roof of the residence as smoke continued to billow out of the home. The property showed obvious signs of fire damage, with portions of the exterior charred by heat and smoke.

Details are limited and it’s unclear exactly how the fire got started, but officials said crews called “knockdown” on the residential blaze at 5:20 p.m.

Two people were rushed to the hospital in unknown condition.

“I just heard yelling, like long yelling,” Jane Guzman de Leon, a neighbor, said. “It sounded really frantic. I heard fear in the voices, so I ran out to see what was going on. I just saw fire. The full house, inside, was on fire, flames coming out of the windows. I saw two elderly men come out. One stayed on the ground, on the side because he had blood coming out of his head. He was just out of it and the other one, I saw skin peeling and he was just in a really distraught state.”

Another three people were discovered deceased inside the residence, L.A. County Fire said in a post to X , formerly Twitter.

A heavy presence of first responders, as well as onlookers, could be seen in video, as deputies with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department cordoned off the street.

LASD Lt. Hugo Reynaga told KTLA that authorities believe this to be a case of arson and are questioning a 64-year-old Asian man, who has not yet been identified and lives at the residence.

“During the investigation or about an hour after, an individual arrived on scene and spoke to deputies,” Reynaga added. “He’s a Mandarin speaker, so there’s been some language barrier. Right now, he’s a person of interest.”

So far, the 64-year-old has not been arrested.

No information was provided on the age or gender of the victims. No other injuries were reported.

Arson investigators remained on the scene.

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