CLINTON, N.C. (AP) -- A homeless man died when a fire engulfed the storage building where he lived early Wednesday, the Sampson County Sheriff's Office said.
Larry Wayne Thomas, 41, had been staying in a storage building behind the home of his employer, Rolando Torres, according to a sheriff's report. Another man, Vidal Mejia, 28, also lived in the building and worked for Torres, the report said.
A kerosene heater may have caused the blaze at around 5 a.m. Wednesday, though the cause remains under investigation, deputies said.
Torres tried to wake the men when he noticed the flames. He was unable to wake Thomas, the report said. Firefighters found Thomas on the floor near the front door, the report said.
Mejia was taken to Sampson Regional Medical Center in Clinton with injuries that were not life threatening, Capt. Ricky Mattocks said.
