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Nov. 17--One man was killed, but eight other residents escaped after fire tore through a North Side duplex early this morning.
The body of Charles McCloud, 57, was found after several searches of his burning home at 831 Taylor Ave.
Columbus Division of Fire Battalion Chief Michael Fowler said McCloud eventually was found under debris in the first-floor room where the fire started. A mattress was in the room, Fowler said.
Firefighters were called at 4:06 a.m. to the duplex, south of E. 5th Avenue.
McCloud's adult son and a woman identified as the son's girlfriend escaped through a second-story window onto the front-porch roof.
They crawled through a window in the other half of the duplex, where they alerted two adults and four children to the fire next door. All got out safely by going down the stairs, Fowler said.
Both halves of the duplex were badly damaged.
Investigators believe the fire may have been unintentional, started by careless smoking.
