Woman Killed In Venice House Fire Identified

VENICE, CA — Coroner's officials identified a 72-year-old woman who died after firefighters pulled her from a burning home in Venice.

Crews were able to pull Charlie Ruth Johnson from the burning building, but she later died at a hospital, the coroner's office reported.

In the early morning of July 31, Firefighters were called to the 900 block of South Fourth Avenue where a single-story home was ablaze with smoke billowing from the rear of the house. Excessive storage conditions inside contributed to the fire, said Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

"The cause of the fire is undetermined, but the LAFD Arson/Counter- Terrorism Section has ruled out arson," the LAFD said.

City News Service contributed to this report. Photo: Shutterstock