Deadly Inverness house fire under investigation
INVERNESS, Fla. - Investigators are trying to figure out what caused a deadly fire in Citrus County on Tuesday evening.
According to Citrus County Fire Rescue, firefighters were called to a home on E. Live Oak Lane in Inverness shortly before 6 p.m. on Tuesday for reports of a fire.
When firefighters got to the home, they said about half of it was in flames. They added that neighbors told them that a man may be in the backyard, but they didn’t see anyone.
Firefighters said it was difficult to get around inside the home because of heavy smoke, fire, and significant debris that was blocking pathways.
CCFR says high heat forced firefighters inside the home to exit and wait for more crews to arrive.
With more support from Hernando and the Highlands, crews went back inside but had to get out a second time as the air supply was depleted, according to CCFR.
The fire was put out around 6:15 p.m. and firefighters say they found the body of a man about 20 minutes later while they were doing a secondary search of the property.
While firefighters were dousing the blaze, they said they found a bonfire outside the home next door. It was quickly put out and firefighters say nobody was found on that property.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating.
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