A house fire late Saturday night left one person dead in Polk County, according to Polk County Fire Rescue. Crews were called to a single-story home around 10 p.m. on Halloween and found it already filled with smoke and flames when they arrived.
According to the county, fire crews believed one person was inside the burning home and found that person dead after searching the structure. WKMG's headline described the fire as occurring in Bartow, but the county government identified the location as Power Line Road in Davenport.
In the aftermath, the American Red Cross was notified to help the victim's family with lodging and other needs, the station's report noted. Polk County Fire Chief Shawn Smith offered condolences to the family and friends of the person who died, per the same account.
Two Agencies Now Investigating
The fire itself is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal's Office, while the Polk County Sheriff's Office is investigating the death, according to the station's report. Neither the cause of the fire nor the outcome of either investigation has been determined yet.
Polk County Fire Rescue also responded to a fatal camper fire on Pipes Road in Bartow in late November 2024, whose cause, like that of Saturday's incident, was placed under review by the Florida State Fire Marshal's office.
