A fire that broke out between two homes in Sherman Oaks early Sunday could have been far worse. It wasn't, neighbors say, in part because a 13-year-old woke up in time.
A 3 a.m. blaze
The fire started just after 3 a.m. Sunday on a residential block in Sherman Oaks, in the San Fernando Valley, charring brush along the edges of two homes, Fox 11 Los Angeles reported. Surveillance video from the block appeared to show a man with a shopping cart stopping in front of the properties, igniting something on the ground and walking off as flames rose behind him.
Neighbors and local reports described the man as appearing to be homeless, but that characterization has not been confirmed by the Los Angeles Fire Department or police, and as of Sunday no one had been arrested or publicly identified. No injuries were reported, and neither home suffered structural damage.
The teen who woke up
Inside one of the homes, 13-year-old Myron Tkechenko was woken by the sound of the fire and the heat cracking a window, he told Fox 11. He called 911, alerted his family and helped move the family car away from the flames, and together they used a garden hose and pots of water to knock the fire down. By the time LAFD crews arrived, much of it was already out, KTLA reported.
A neighborhood on edge
For some on the block, the fire crystallized worries about safety they say have been building. One neighbor told Fox 11 she was unsettled by the apparent indifference of the person captured on video. Residents said they were collecting additional security footage in hopes of helping investigators identify whoever set the fire.
The episode also reflects a broader concern in the Valley about fire risk near homes during the dry summer months. Officials have urged residents to clear brush and report suspicious activity, especially heading into the Fourth of July, when fire danger climbs.
What's not yet known
Key questions remain open: the identity of the man in the video, whether the Los Angeles police have opened a formal arson investigation, and any motive. The "homeless" description comes from neighbors and media accounts of the footage, not an official finding — a distinction worth keeping in mind as the investigation proceeds. Anyone with information has been asked to contact the LAPD's Van Nuys Division.
For now, a Sherman Oaks block is counting itself lucky — and grateful that a teenager was paying attention.
