One person is dead after a house fire in Hollywood Sunday afternoon.
Rescue crews responded to the scene at 2831 Taylor Street and found the body of 59-year-old James Burns, Hollywood Police said.
Neighbors said they tried to help him when they noticed thick black smoke in the unit.
"The owner of the complex immediately opened the door and went in with a hose and tried to open the windows and put out whatever, wherever the smoke and flames were coming from," neighbor Kathy Garfield said.
But it wasn't enough, and it was already too late.
"She said the smoke, was you couldn't see this far in front of you because it was just so thick and the dark black smoke in there it was just tragic, very tragic," Garfield said.
There weren't many flames in this fire. Neighbors said smoke may have been the killer. Investigators worked all evening to figure out if that is the case.
"I believe it started maybe on the couch and it had been smoldering for a few hours and maybe he fell asleep and didn't realize it and the smoke was a little too much," Garfield said.
Police haven't said whether the fire was suspicious or accidental.
Stay with NBC6.com for updates on this developing story.
