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71-year-old man killed in Apopka house fire

Neighbor calls 911 after seeing home engulfed in flames

APOPKA, Fla. – A fatal house fire is under investigation in Orange County.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office said Richard Anthony Newburn, 71, died in the fire, which broke out around 2 a.m. on Alexandria Place Drive near Rock Springs Road in Apopka.

A woman, who identified herself as Newburn's next-door neighbor, called 911 to report the blaze.

The woman, who sounded as though she was in a panic, told dispatchers she thought Newburn was trapped in the house.

"He's sleeping inside," she said.

The woman could be heard repeatedly saying, "Oh my gosh" as she described the fiery scene to dispatchers.

"You guys need to get here quick," she said.

Several other neighbors said they were awakened by the blaze before firefighters arrived and extinguished it.

“It was pretty huge. It was literally another story high. The whole back part was engulfed in flames and that really took a toll on the entire house," said James Waye, who lives across the street.

Waye described Newburn as a "really good guy."

“He’s just a really good guy. He’s really someone that’s big on the community. He was supportive. He talked to everybody. He was a really kind person.” Waye said.

Detectives said they believe Newburn's cause of death was accidental.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Watch News 6 and stay with ClickOrlando.com for updates.


About the Author
Daniel Dahm headshot

Daniel started with WKMG-TV in 2000 and became the digital content manager in 2009. When he's not working on ClickOrlando.com, Daniel likes to head to the beach or find a sporting event nearby.

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