Man dies in Lillington house fire

Lillington, N.C. — A man died in an early-morning house fire at 12th and Killiegrey streets that one person escaped Sunday, said Lillington Police Chief Frankie Powers.

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Cause of fatal fire under investigation

Flames had fully engulfed a one-story, brick-and-wood frame house at 1100 12th St. when firefighters arrived around 3:30 a.m. Crews from Lillington, Summerville and Buies Creek battled for an hour to bring the fire under control and for another three hours to extinguish it.

Investigators believe the man who died tried to reach the door of the house but couldn't reach it in time.

"You feel for the families," Powers said. "This is a small community, and it really affects everyone when something like this happens."

A resident of the house escaped unharmed, he said. The deceased, whose identity hasn't been released, was a visitor.

Powers said nothing has been ruled out as police, the Harnett County fire marshal and State Bureau of Investigation look into the cause and origin of the fire. The SBI's involvement is routine and does not necessarily mean criminal activity is suspected, Powers said.

The victim's body has been sent to the office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Chapel Hill for an autopsy.