71-Year-Old Man Dies While Trying to Escape House Fire in Westminster

A 71-year-old man died early Thursday while trying to escape a house fire, authorities said.

James Richard Hawker was found lying in a doorway of his bungalow home in the 7800 block of 11th Street shortly after 5 a.m. Firefighters said he likely collapsed seconds before stepping through the threshold.

“He was not very mobile and apparently when he walked, he walked very slowly,” said Capt. Scott Brown, of the Orange County Fire Authority. Hawker had been debilitated by a World War II injury, Brown said.

Fire officials said the blaze started in Hawker’s bedroom, where they believe he may have fallen asleep while smoking.

Such fires often smolder for hours before bursting into full-blown blazes, Brown said. “When these fires do erupt, they’re explosive in nature,” he said.

There was no smoke detector in the 500-square-foot home, Brown said.