The cause of Wednesday’s fire near Ledbetter remains undetermined. Lee County investigators and the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office are examining how it began, according to KBTX. Officials have not said when they may release further findings.
One person died in the fire. Responders found the victim inside the house after the blaze was under control, KBTX reported. Authorities have not released the person’s identity pending notification of next of kin, according to KXAN; KBTX reported that officials were also awaiting positive identification. A Lee County Precinct 4 justice of the peace went to the scene to conduct an inquest, KBTX reported.
The fire was reported around 9 a.m. at a home in the 1400 block of County Road 120 in the Ledbetter area. The caller told 911 someone might still be inside, according to KVUE. Volunteer fire departments, Lee County EMS and sheriff’s deputies responded, CBS Austin reported.
KBTX reported that the fire had spread throughout the home before firefighters arrived. Crews brought it under control before entering the house.
Texas residential fire deaths
A statewide figure in the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office’s 2016 Fires in Texas report—not a current-year count—shows that participating Texas fire departments reported 108 civilian deaths in residential structure fires that year, according to the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office.
