Man dies when home burns

An elderly man was found dead early today after his house burned.

David Edwards, 75, was found dead in front of a neighbor's house after he knocked on the door while his house was burning, Woody Spencer, spokesman for the Kinston Public Safety Department, said.

Firefighters received a 911 call at 12:55 a.m. Thursday to report Edwards' two-story duplex afire. No one else was injured, Spencer said.

Arson investigators say the fire was accidental, but have not released details on how it began. The dwelling was heavily damaged by smoke and fire, Spencer said. An adjacent dwelling had smoke damage but it was not serious, he said.

The cause of Edwards' death is pending the results of an autopsy.

Spencer said Edwards' son, who lives a few houses away from his father' house, reported the fire.

The State Bureau of Investigation is also investigating the incident. Spencer said his department routinely calls the SBI if a fire results in a death.