Surveillance video showed a person with a shopping cart lighting something before flames spread along a residential street.
LOS ANGELES, CA — A 13-year-old boy helped stop an overnight fire in Sherman Oaks after he spotted flames outside his home early Sunday and alerted his family, who fought the blaze before firefighters arrived.
The fire broke out just after 3 a.m. on Hebsy Street, off Van Nuys Boulevard, in a quiet residential area where homes sit close to sidewalks and parked cars. Neighbors said the flames came dangerously close to two houses before the family’s response helped keep the fire from spreading. No injuries were reported in the initial account, and the person seen in surveillance video had not been publicly identified.
Security video from a nearby home showed a person pushing a shopping cart down the street, stopping in front of a home, lighting something and then leaving as flames rose behind the cart. The fire spread near bushes and yards just steps from the homes. Myron Tkechenko, 13, said a crack in his window and the sound of crackling woke him. “I stood up on my couch and kind of jumped up so I could see what’s happening outside,” he said. “And I just see flames bursting, just terrible.”
Myron called 911 and woke his family. His relatives moved a car out of the fire’s path, then began attacking the flames with a garden hose and pots of water. “We got two pots, so while I was filling one up, my dad was throwing it at the fire,” Myron said. The family knocked down much of the blaze before firefighters reached the block. Charred bushes remained outside the homes after the fire was out, marking how close the flames had come to the properties.
The video became a key piece of evidence for neighbors, who said they were trying to collect more footage from homes and nearby businesses to help police identify the person responsible. The person’s name, age and motive were not known Sunday. The report described the person as homeless, but officials had not publicly released confirmation of an arrest or charges. Neighbors said the way the person walked away after the fire started added to their concern because the flames rose quickly in a place where people were sleeping inside nearby homes.
Lesley Bochert, who has lived on the street for 10 years, said the incident left people on the block shaken. “I mean, he doesn’t care or he’s out of it,” Bochert said. She said homelessness and public safety concerns have grown in the area in recent months, pointing to encampments at a nearby park, recreational vehicles parked in the neighborhood and people living in cars in front of homes. Bochert also said her own car had been broken into during her time living on the block.
Penny Johnson, the neighborhood block watch captain, said residents have been worried about conditions in the area before the fire. She said a homeless man keyed several cars in the neighborhood last month. “I know it’s supposed to be getting better, but we’re not seeing that,” Johnson said. She described homelessness as a quality-of-life issue the city continues to face and said the overnight fire showed how quickly a street-level concern can become a threat to homes and families.
Investigators were expected to review the surveillance video and any additional footage gathered by residents and businesses. It was not immediately clear whether police or fire officials were treating the case as arson, and no suspect information had been released beyond the video description. Neighbors said they wanted the person found and wanted city leaders to address the broader problems they believe have grown around the area. “This could have been an absolute catastrophe for the neighborhood,” Johnson said.
The block remained focused Sunday on identifying the person seen in the video and on the damage left near the homes. The next milestone is whether investigators release a suspect description, announce an arrest or confirm possible charges.
Author note: Last updated Sunday, June 28, 2026.