Authorities have identified the 71-year-old man who died early Wednesday in a south St. Petersburg house fire as Charles James Seay.
Detectives said Seay lived alone and that they've found nothing suspicious about the fire so far, but its origin is still under investigation.
According to St. Petersburg Fire Rescue, the fire ignited just before 1:30 a.m. at a 1310 33rd Street South. When crews arrived, they saw flames shooting through part of the living room.
They found Seay in the kitchen.
"Two things were working against this gentleman," St. Petersburg Fire Rescue spokesman Lt. Joel Granata said. "There were no smoke alarms in the home, and he had the old-style burglar bars on all the windows - making it difficult for him to get out and for us to get in."
Free Smoke Alarms
St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue offers a free smoke alarm installation service for those single family residences who cannot afford one.
Citizens should call the Home Safe Hot Line at 727-893-SAFE (7233). A representative will schedule an appointment for a FREE smoke alarm or battery with their neighborhood fire station.