Woman dies in house fire near Whittier

 An early-morning house fire in an unincorporated area near Whittier turned deadly when firefighters found a body inside one of the rooms, fire officials said Monday.

The fire was reported around 1:20 a.m. at a single-story home in the 1100 block of Wheelock Street.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire to one room of the home, where they later found the body of a woman in her 50s.

According to a neighbor, six people were barbecuing at the home when the fire broke out.

he woman, who reportedly was battling cancer, was not able to escape the home. All the others were uninjured.

Arson and homicide investigators are on the scene.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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— KTLA News