Firefighters discovered a body inside a west-central San Fernando Valley garage after knocking down an early morning fire -- the latest in a series of fatal fires involving structures converted into living areas.



The fire was reported at about 4 a.m. in the 7000 block of Sunnybrae Avenue in Winnetka (map) and knocked down in about 17 minutes. Firefighters discovered the body of a 61-year-old man in the detached garage.

Details regarding the victim and a cause of the fire were not immediately available, but fire officials said the man was living in "pack-rat conditions." He was described as a long-time friend of the homeowners who was allowed to live in the packed garage.

"There was only one way out, and that was through the big garage doors," said Los Angeles Fire Department Battalion Chief Steve Ruda.

Read: Lighter Mishap Led to Buena Park Fire

Neighbors told NBC4 the man lived in the garage -- packed floor to ceiling with belongings -- for several years. The victim was found next to the garage's roll-up door.

"It's really sad," said neighbor David Dorfman. "I was always worried when I'd go by there. There was no room for anything in there."

The death is the latest in a series of fatal fires in buildings that had been converted into living areas. A family, including a mother, father and two children, were killed Jan. 13 in Sylmar after a fire in a metal storage building that had been converted into a residence.

The death marks the sixth residential fire fatality of the year, according to the LAFD.