Local

Man dies in Orlando house fire

ORLANDO, Fla. — A man died Monday morning in a house fire, the Orlando Fire Department said.

The fire was reported shortly before 7:45 a.m. at a home on North Lee Avenue near West Washington Street and North Parramore Avenue in the Callahan neighborhood, agency spokeswoman Ashley Papagni said.

One person was able to escape the burning home, but a man had to be rescued, Papagni said.

Firefighters said the victim, whose identity hasn't been released, was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he died.

"There were metal bars on the windows of the home and a significant amount of combustible material inside the home, making access a challenge," Papagni said.

Samuel Benton, the victim's son, told Channel 9 that his 74-year-old father's bedsheets caught fire and he insisted on putting out the flames himself.

"He woke me up and told me to get some water," Benton said. "And I tried to tell him, 'You can't put this fire out.' I said, 'You've got to get out of the house, because the house is already old.'"

Neighbor Kim Holman said she watched firefighters try to rescue Johnnie Pitts from his bedroom.

"When I came outside, I saw and heard all the fire trucks," Holman said. "I looked to my right, and I saw the house engulfed in flames. And the first thing I yelled was, 'Where's Mr. Johnnie?'"

Benton said his father had previously lost half of his foot, which hindered his mobility.

Firefighters said they had trouble reaching the victim because the home contained so many belongings.

It took almost 20 firefighters to extinguish the blaze, which destroyed the 1935 home.

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Benton told investigators that there was a space heater in the home, but the fire's cause remains under investigation.

"As cooler weather continues for Orlando, our Fire Department reminds our residents to use heating appliances with caution," Papagni said. "This includes space heaters, fireplaces, generators, ovens or any other appliance that produces heat."

Firefighters said they'll go door-to-door Tuesday to install free smoke alarms in the neighborhood as they did after the last fire.