A man was killed early Sunday after his house caught fire in Garland County and he was unable to escape, Piney Fire Chief Scott Miser said.
The single-family wooden home at 150 Preston Lane was fully involved when Piney firefighters responded to the scene after a neighbor called to report it shortly after 3 a.m., Miser told The Sentinel-Record.
The neighbor told the firefighters they believed the resident, who lived alone, was still inside "because all his vehicles were there," he said, and shortly after they arrived there were several explosions from inside.
Miser noted the man had a workshop attached to the house and there were apparently propane tanks and acetylene torches and other items that lead to the explosions.
The man was later found in the kitchen, he said, noting, "He didn't make it to the door." There were a few dogs inside the house that were also killed.
A woman at the scene Sunday morning who identified herself as the victim's sister said he was the youngest of five siblings and formerly lived in California. An accident left him disabled, and he later moved to Mountain Pine.
Miser said firefighters had the fire "knocked down" within about 30 minutes, but spent another three or four hours "getting everything completely mopped up." He said the house, which was "really old," was a total loss.
The chief estimated he had 20 firefighters or more who responded to the fire and there were no injuries.
The official cause of the fire is still under investigation, but he speculated it started in a wood stove. Family members at the scene also said they believed the fire may have originated near a wood stove located in the back of the house.
