St. Johns County Fire and Rescue confirmed Tuesday night that one person is dead after a house fire near the 1000 block of Lee Street in St. Johns County.
PHOTOS: St. Johns County boy killed trying to rescue dog from fire, family says
The victim's uncle told Action News Jax that the deceased was an 11-year-old boy who ran back inside the house to save the family's dog.
Authorities said that a 34-year-old female and an 18-year-old female were able to escape.
“Can’t believe it... Is this real,” an uncle still coming to terms after he says his nephew died during a house fire in St. Augustine last night. He says the young boy went into the house to save their dog. @ActionNewsJax @WOKVNews pic.twitter.com/JEkLzKwTC2
— Elizabeth Pace (@PaceAnJax) October 24, 2018
In a Facebook post, SJCFR said that when crews arrived at the scene of the fire a house was "heavily involved in flames" and "that one person was still inside the home."
SJCFR said that crews found a deceased victim after a search of the home and then was able to bring the fire under control.
The uncle says this is the second time this family is mourning the loss of a child. One of the boy’s sisters drowned a few years ago. Their message ahead on @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/huYw4s7eAy
— Elizabeth Pace (@PaceAnJax) October 24, 2018
No cause is known at this point.
The family told Avitable that the smoke got to the boy and they tried to go back in to get him and resuscitate him.
The State Fire Marshals Office and the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office are assisting in the investigation, according to SJCFR.
SJCFR and SAFD are on scene of a residential structure fire in the 1000 block of Lee Street. Upon arrival crews found a single story residential structure heavily involved in flames.
— SJC Fire Rescue (@SJCFireRescue) October 24, 2018
First arriving... https://t.co/4KL8Hb19dN
We are about a quarter of a mile down the scene from a fatal house fire in SJC. The fire department says someone was trapped inside and died on scene. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/L6DrSQAbVj
— Danielle Avitable (@Danielle_NBC4) October 24, 2018
The crime scene unit is also on scene. I’m working to find out the cause of the fire @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/xqTtXfqCrN
— Danielle Avitable (@Danielle_NBC4) October 24, 2018
A man on scene said the boy is his nephew and said everyone was out of the house and the boy went back in to get their dog out of the cage inside the house. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/jRPr5FyPz9
— Danielle Avitable (@Danielle_NBC4) October 24, 2018
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