An 83-year-old man died early Tuesday in a Paulding County house fire, according to investigators.
Shortly before 7 a.m., several 911 callers reported the fire on Courthouse Park Drive in the Temple community, Lt. Steve Mapes with the Paulding fire department said. Callers reported that victims, including a disabled veteran, might be trapped inside the home.
Firefighters arrived seven minutes later and encountered heavy smoke and flames coming from the front of the home, Mapes said.
“Several residents who were able to escape the fire, including the disabled veteran, confirmed that another male occupant was still trapped in the kitchen area,” Mapes said in an emailed statement.
During a search of the home, firefighters located an unconscious man in the kitchen. The man, whose name was not released pending notification of family members, died after being removed from the home, Mapes said.
Paulding investigators have requested that the state fire marshal’s office assist in determining the cause of the fire.
