SANFORD, Fla. – A man was killed and another person was injured in a house fire in Sanford early Wednesday morning, officials said.
The fire was reported at 4:01 a.m. in the 1200 block of East Airport Boulevard.
Officials said the fire was engulfing the home when firefighters arrived and a man died in the flames. Another person was taken to Central Florida Regional Hospital, in an unknown condition.
Family members said Kenneth Fillinger, 57, was asleep inside the home when the fire sparked, possibly because of a space heater. He had difficulty walking due to arthritis and was unable to make it out of the home, they said.
"He might have went unconscious and couldn’t get out. He couldn’t walk that well and I don’t think he could’ve gotten out anyway, and that hurts," Lindsey Fillinger said of her father.
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Kenneth Fillinger was described as a family man who loved his three children, four grandchildren and going fishing.
"Devastated, I’m heartbroken," Lindsey Fillinger said. "It’s going to take a long time for me to grieve and get over everything. I’ll probably never get over it."
The home was destroyed and as a result, the American Red Cross is assisting four adults, who were displaced.
Multiple people called 911 Wednesday morning to report the fire, including Caline Michaud.
"I saw a house fire and I saw some elderly people standing outside so I pulled up and ran over to make sure everyone was out safely," Michaud said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.