A house fire in the 900 block of Bradwell Street on Tuesday afternoon killed one man and Hinesville fire department investigators are looking for clues.

Capt. Kristian Johanson said the fire began shortly after 2 p.m. The call came into the Liberty County 911 center as a fire alarm. Johanson said when firefighters arrived, they began to extinguish the flames, which had caused heat and smoke damage to the residence and destroyed the rear of the home. 

The victim, who has not been identified pending notification of next of kin, was found in a room that had been converted into an office, Johanson said. “The man sustained injuries from the fire, was taken outside by firefighters but he was later pronounced dead,” the captain said. 

The cause of the fire has not been determined and is under investigation.   

Becky Carter, who lives near the damaged home, said she was taking a walk when she saw fire trucks and emergency vehicles turning into her neighborhood. 

“When I returned to the neighborhood there was bellows of black coming from the house,”  Carter said. 

She said it was more than an hour before the blanket of smoke covering the neighborhood cleared up. Carter described the victim, who lived in the home, as a very friendly elderly gentleman who lived alone.