1 Dead In Pico Rivera House Fire

PICO RIVERA (CBSLA) — A fatal fire claimed the life of a woman in Pico Rivera early Monday morning.

The fire broke out around 1:20 a.m. in the bedroom of a home at 11124 Wheelock Street, Los Angeles County Fire Department officials said.

According to authorities, family members in another building on the property noticed the main home was on fire and alerted officials.

"By the time they were able to rally themselves together to try and get inside, it was too much heat and smoke and they weren't able to get access to save the relative there," Battalion Chief Bill McCloud said.

The deceased woman was approximately 50 years old, officials said. A family friend told CBS2's Kara Finnstrom that the woman was ill was unable to get out of her bed.

Investigators were trying to determine if the woman was killed in the fire or if she died before it began.

The fire took 15 minutes to extinguish. Damage was estimated at $250,000, officials said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.