ALEXANDER COUNTY, N.C. — Investigators are working to determine what started a fire that killed a man in Alexander County early Wednesday morning.
The fire started around 6 a.m. at a mobile home on Ervin Lane in the Hiddenite community.
Channel 9 learned a sheriff deputy was the first person to get to the scene, and he said the flames and heat were so intense he wasn’t able to get into the home.
Officials said firefighters from three different fire departments scrambled to get to the house with the closest department being a mile away. When firefighters first got to the home, they said it was fully engulfed in flames.
Alexander County investigators said they were initially called to the home for an explosion and fire, but Fire Marshal Mark Earle said there was no indication of an explosion. He added the home is a total loss.
Neighbors and investigators said there wasn’t power running to the home. Most of the damage was in the bedroom, which was where they say 31-year-old Jeffrey Bebber was found dead.
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Family members told Channel 9′s Dave Faherty Bebber was using a kerosene heater to stay warm over the winter.
Authorities said deputies were able to get a search warrant before fire investigators went into the home, but the cause of the blaze still remains under investigation. The fire marshal said they are getting help from the State Bureau of Investigations in this case.
Bebber’s mother has set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for the cleanup.