Man Found Dead In Apartment Fire Near USC Identified

A 66-year-old man who was found by firefighters in a search during their attack on an apartment fire near USC was identified Wednesday.

The Los Angeles Fire Department dispatched 47 firefighters at around 1:50 p.m. Tuesday to the 2300 block of Portland Street, two blocks east of Hoover Street, where flames were burning in a second-floor unit of a three-story apartment building, according to department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart.

While battling the blaze, crews found a victim inside the unit who was “beyond medical help” and pronounced dead at the scene, Stewart said.

The victim was identified Wednesday by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner as David Terhune, who cause of death was listed as deferred.

The cause of the fire was under investigation by LAFD arson investigators.