JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --
A man who lived alone was found dead Wednesday morning after a fire consumed his haome on the Northside. Two dogs also died in the fire.
Jacksonville Fire-Rescue spokesman Tom Francis said the brick home at 1685 Kitler Road was fully engulfed in flames when the first units arrived just before 7 a.m.
Neighbors reported hearing a small explosion after the fire broke out, and the state Fire Marshal's Office and Jacksonville Sheriff's Office homicide detectives were investigating.
"The damage is so extensive that it will take a while to make any determination, especially about causation, about point-of-origin, and those things that would lead, subsequently, maybe, to some sort of finding that could point out that this was suspicious or not," Francis said.
Neighbors said the homeowner was elderly and was frequently seen walking his dogs.
A firefighter received a minor injury battling the fire.
The state Fire Marshal's Office and Jacksonville Sheriff's Office homicide detectives were at the scene investigating the death and the cause of the fire.
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