A man has died after a fire broke out in an Orlando house on early Tuesday morning, according to the Orlando Fire Department.

  • Cause of fire unknown
  • One woman taken to ORMC
  • 2 unrelated house fires in Apopka Mon. night
  • Fire safety experts emphasize safety precautions

No information was given out as to who the man was or how the fire started at around 12:30 a.m. at 416 South Parramore Ave., but a woman was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center for smoke inhalation and burn injuries.

Another man was not injured, but is receiving assistance from the Red Cross.

Officials said the cause of the fire is still unknown. Though investigators ruled the cause of the Parramore blaze as accidental, firefighters did find space heaters in the house.

The investigation is ongoing.

Fires at Apopka homes Monday night

Orange County Fire crews were also busy Monday night in Apopka, as two fires in Apopka started one right after the other, only a block or so apart.

Crews said these two fires are unrelated and both involved mobile homes.

The first started on Jeffcoat street. Fire crews did not release how the fire started, just that no one was hurt.

The second fire was on East 13th street. When fire crews arrived to the scene they could not attack the fire from behind the mobile home because of a downed power line.

“We had a wire down, which prevented us from getting around the whole structure so we had to wait until Duke got on scene to secure that wire because that can pose a hazard to our crews. So once that was done we were able to put the fire out completely,” said Lt. Dupree Smith, Orange County Battalion Chief.

It was not known if someone was living in the mobile home, but crews said no one was inside during the fire.

No one was hurt. Both scenes will now be investigated by the State Fire Marshall Office.

Fire safety

Fire safety experts are sounding the alarm and reminding others that safety is paramount when combating the chill.

“We forget, we do need to check things like our air conditioning, our heaters, our fireplaces," said Katie Sherk, who serves as regional disaster officer for the American Red Cross of Central Florida. “Winter is definitely one of our busiest time periods, especially for house fire activities.”

Sherk said that it's instinctual for people to want to try to stay warm any way they can, but they must take maintenance seriously.

“We often see in the wintertime people using space heaters too close to flammable objects," she said, noting that candles can pose a safety risk as well. “They’ll put lots of different candles up to create and generate heat; (it's dangerous) especially if you’re not paying attention to it."

Tips on using space heaters

  • Keep space heaters at least three feet away from flammable objects, including bed skirts and rugs.
  • Turn off portable heaters when going to bed.
  • Test smoke alarms.
  • If you have a fireplace, clean it out.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, half of home heating fires are reported during the months of December, January and February.