One person died late Thursday night after flames engulfed a residence in northeast Ocala.
At around 11:25 p.m., multiple Ocala Fire Rescue units were dispatched to a home located in the 2600 block of NE 1st Avenue. According to OFR, a concerned neighbor had contacted authorities after spotting flames at a nearby residence.
OFR units soon arrived on scene and observed a one-story residence that was on fire, with flames burning through the roof.
Firefighters immediately began blasting the exterior of the home with water to combat the flames.
As the firefighters attempted to combat the flames inside the residence, they encountered “deteriorating fire conditions” that included a downed power line. As a result, OFR crews were forced to withdraw from the interior of the home.
“The fire was aggressively fought from the outside until it was under control,” stated OFR in a media release.
When the flames were extinguished, firefighters searched the interior of the home and found one victim who was deceased. The victim’s name was not released by OFR.
After conducting a secondary search of the home, OFR crews determined that the victim was the sole occupant of the home at the time of the fire.
The State Fire Marshall’s Office is currently conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.
The Ocala Police Department and Marion County Fire Rescue also responded to the residence.
Ocala Fire Rescue stated on Friday morning that it extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victim during this difficult time.