Fullerton man dies in early morning house fire

A man in Fullerton died in an early morning house fire Friday, authorities said.

The man, described as being in his 70s and living with dementia, died from possible smoke inhalation when a fire started in his bedroom while he was sleeping about 1 a.m., said Fullerton Fire Department Deputy Chief Adam Loeser.

The man lived there with his wife, who has her own medical issues and was with other family members at the time, Loeser said.

A cause for the blaze has yet to be determined.

“He was really a wonderful man… a good neighbor,” a resident told KTLA-TV. “He used to be a school teacher… was a nice man. A very nice man.”

There had been small fires there before, KTLA reported, but this one grew out of control.

“It’s just an unfortunate story,” Loeser said.

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