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ATHENS, Ala. (WHNT) — One person was killed in a house fire in Athens on Monday afternoon.

According to East Limestone Fire Chief Tony Kirk, the person killed in the blaze was the home’s owner and a former prisoner-of-war (POW) veteran.

Kirk said the call came in just after 3 p.m. Monday afternoon about a fire on Thomas Edward Drive in Athens.

Upon arrival, firefighters saw fire coming through the roof of the home, but they eventually put out the blaze.

Kirk said they initially could not find the homeowner, who said he was well-known in the neighborhood. Neighbors told fire officials that if the homeowner’s car was in the driveway, he was at home.

Police then noticed the car in the driveway and later found the homeowner dead.

Volunteer fire departments from Oak Grove Thach, East Limestone, and Piney Chapel responded to the blaze.

The fire is under investigation by the Alabama Fire Marshal’s Office.