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Man killed in Sanford house fire after pot left on stove

A man died early Sunday in a house fire in Sanford, according to police.

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SANFORD, N.C. — A man died in a house fire in Sanford early Sunday after a pot was left unattended on the stove, according to fire officials.

Family members identified him as James "Jack" Rollins, 59.

Another man who lived in the home escaped with minor injuries. Fire officials say the man went outside and tried to rescue Rollins through the bedroom window but was unable to reach him.

The fire was reported around 2:30 a.m. at 1612 Prosperity Drive. It was a home that family members said served as a safe haven for the community.

"This home was a home where people could come, and my grandmother always helped people in the community," said Eleanor Weathery, Rollins' niece.

Rollins moved into the home that his mother, Eula Rollins, bought and lived in for decades.

"All of her lifetime, she had to struggle to make it with 11 children, so when she purchased the house, that was her prosperity," said Gracie Palmer, Rollins' sister.

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