WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A house fire in Winston-Salem killed one man, according to the Winston-Salem Fire Department.
Fire crews responded to the fire Monday night on North Jackson Avenue. The first fire engine arrived around 9:54 p.m. Firefighters said when they arrived they saw dark smoke coming from the roof and flames from the front door.
Firefighters discovered the man's body in the bedroom of the house. Autopsy results for the victim are pending. They are not releasing the name of the victim at this time.
Officials said there is an estimated $10,000 worth of damage to the house. Fire investigators are currently investigating the cause of the fire.
According to fire officials, two smoke alarms were in the house. It is not known if they were working at the time of the fire due to the amount of fire damage to the alarms.
The Winston-Salem Fire Department continues to urge residents to have working smoke alarms in their homes. They said you should have one on each floor of the home, one outside each bedroom, and one in each bedroom. They urge residents to check them weekly with the test button and change batteries at least once per year. Newer sealed units do not require a battery change and should be replaced after 10 years, according to fire officials.
The department also urges citizens to sleep with their bedroom doors shut. This can buy critical time to escape or await rescue by the fire department. Due to the nature and amount of combustibles in the average home, occupants now have roughly two to three minutes to escape their house once it catches fire.