Apr 22, 2021 / 04:11 PM EST
LOS ANGELES (KABC) A home in Venice was destroyed and a dog was killed in a fire early Wednesday morning.
While the cause remains under investigation, neighbors are pointing to growing homeless encampments in the area, including one near the home.
The fire was reported at 3:55 a.m. at the one-story bungalow on Clubhouse Avenue. It took 26 firefighters 18 minutes to put out the flames, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Neighbors described the distressing scene and efforts to rescue the dog trapped inside.
“We heard glass breaking and people screaming in the alley,” neighbor Francesca Padilla told ABC7. “I also heard our neighbor’s dog whimpering. We immediately knew something was wrong.”