One man died and four others managed to escape a house fire in Hiram early Saturday morning, according to the State Fire Marshals Office.

Alexander Mudgett, a 19-year-old resident, died in the fire. He was found on the first floor at the foot of the stairs. Investigators believe he was trying to escape the burning house. Two other men and two women, all in their 20s, escaped by crawling out the second-floor bedroom windows onto the roof and jumping to the ground. One sustained a minor leg injury.

Investigators were notified of the fire by a neighbor around 5 a.m. Saturday. They believe the fire started on the first floor or beneath the house. There were no smoke detectors in the house.

The building was destroyed and all that remains is one wall. The cause has not been determined.

A fire engine races to the scene of an emergency.


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