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Parramore house fire kills man, injures woman

ORLANDO, Fla. — A man died and a woman was injured early Tuesday in a house fire in the Parramore neighborhood, the Orlando Fire Department said.

Shortly after midnight, flames engulfed the home on South Parramore Avenue near West South Street, fire spokeswoman Ashley Papagni said.

The man and the woman were taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he died and she was treated for smoke inhalation and burns, Papagni said.

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Another man escaped the home unharmed, she said.

Larry Davis, a friend of the man who died Tuesday, called his death tragic.

"For someone to get caught in house fire when they were trying to keep warm -- to me -- is more tragic than anything," David said. "Especially when they're trying to keep warm."

Watch video of the scene below:

It took more than 30 firefighters to extinguish the fire, which destroyed the 1930 home.

"Investigators have ruled the fire accidental with an undetermined cause. However, witnesses say there was a space heater in use at the home," Papagni said. "It is too early to determine whether the cause was proximity to combustibles or related to the appliance itself."

The victims' identities haven't been released.

The Orlando Fire Department cautions that if people are going to use a space heater to keep warm:

  • Don't connect extension cords to the space heater
  • Unplug the space heater when it's not in use
  • Always keep a 3-foot range of free and clear space around the heater
  • Look for exposed wires in the space heater
  • Don't ever use an oven to heat the home
  • Clean, inspect chimney once a year and use protective screen around the fireplace
  • Test smoke detectors monthly