HAMPTON, Va. — A man has died after a fire in Hampton early Thursday, Hampton Fire and Rescue officials say.
Hampton fire officials say this is the first deadly fire this year in the city.
Officials say Hampton Fire and Rescue responded to the 200 block of Lasalle Avenue off of Kecoughtan Road for a report of a house fire around 2:40 a.m. When crews arrived, they saw heavy smoke and flames coming from the front of the home.
First responders were told a man was trapped inside. The home had significant fire and smoke damage throughout.
Crews attempted to rescue the resident while also working to extinguish the fire. They eventually found an elderly man inside and immediately gave him medical care and transported him to a hospital. He was declared dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.
Officials say that his cause of death isn't known yet and will be determined by the Medical Examiner's Office.
Nora Mayo lives across the street and said she's never seen a fire quite this big.
"Like a horror movie or something, from a scary movie, where you see the fire but I’ve never seen a fire. Never seen a blaze that close." Mayo said.
A firefighter was also sent to the hospital for a heat-related illness. They are expected to make a full recovery.
A smoke detector had alerted other residents and they were able to make it out of the home. Two adults and a child are being assisted by the American Red Cross.
The Fire Prevention Branch is investigating the fire, but officials say it does not appear suspicious. The Hampton Division of Fire Rescue wants to remind the public that smoke alarms are essential to saving lives.
While officials haven't identified him, close friends described him to 13News Now.
"He called me his little brother... he was kind, he was there. He was always there,” Alvin Brown said when looking at the ashes.
Other friends like Juanita Brock-Staton were in tears seeing the burned-out house.
"He will be truly missed. I know I’m gonna miss him. I know I’m going to miss him. I know there’s nothing this man would not do for me," Brock-Staton said.