Man Found Dead Inside Burned OKC Home

By Rusty Surette, News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A man is dead following a fire that engulfed a home on N.W. 20th Street near Penn in Oklahoma City Thursday morning.

The fire began just after midnight. Neighbors called 911 when they saw the smoke and flames.

Firefighters say the home was mostly engulfed in flames by the time the first engine arrived on the scene. Because the fire was so intense, they had to battle the fire from outside for several minutes. When they were finally able to enter the house, they found the victim's body.

Neighbors say the man lived there for nearly 15 years and loved to work on antique vehicles. One nearby resident said he heard loud popping noises coming from the home. Investigators say that was likely the tires on the vehicles exploding.

Fire and homicide investigators are looking into what started the fire. It's not known yet if the victim died in the fire or from something else. The State Medical Examiner's office will try and determine the exact cause of the man's death.