The fire started at 11:15 p.m. Thursday at 1163 Derbyshire Road.
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Neighbors said they heard three loud bangs and saw flames shooting from the chimney.
"You could see the redness of the flames and everything coming out of it," neighbor David Sanders said.
When firefighters first arrived, heavy smoke and flames were seen pouring out of the house.
After searching the home, authorities found 53-year-old Scott Wayne Sturzebecker dead on the first floor.
"It's hard to believe that its in such bad shape because the fire department is only five minutes away," Sanders said.
Neighbors said Sturzebecker was an Army veteran and a friendly neighbor.
"An animal lover, and he was always working on his house. He was was always doing something around the neighborhood," said homeowner's association president Bill Logan.
It took crews 45 minutes to get the blaze under control. The house sustained major damage, according to officials.
An investigation into the cause of the fire was ongoing, but a fire department spokesperson told ABC11 they believe the fire was an accident.
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