Firefighters rushed to the 1,309 square-foot, single-story house at in the 1100 block of West 76th Street in response to a report received at 4:47 a.m., said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey.

Firefighters forced entry through the home's security doors and made their way to a locked bedroom that was engulfed with flames, Humphrey said, adding that it took 20 firefighters less than 12 minutes to douse the blaze.

"Firefighters discovered an adult female inside the home. The woman was sadly beyond our help and declared dead at the scene," Humphrey said, adding that the 49-year-old victim was found on the bedroom floor.

The victim's name was withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Humphrey said the cause of the fire remained under investigation, although a preliminary report indicated the fire may have been sparked by charcoal briquettes on a metal tray being improperly used as a heating device.

"The improper heating device may have not only led to the fire, but also a build-up of carbon monoxide inside the home," he said.

The home was not equipped with smoke alarms, fire sprinklers or a carbon monoxide detector.

Humphrey said the fire resulted in $10,000 in structural damage and $5,000 in content loss.