Man killed in early morning house fire

MOBILE, Ala. - An early morning fire claimed the life of a Mobile man. The fire happened Tuesday around 2:24 a.m. at a garage apartment on Westwood Street.

Mobile Fire-Rescue got to the scene shortly after getting the call. They saw heavy fire coming from all sides of the two story wood frame garage apartment.

When they got the heaviest part of the fire knocked down, they found the victim, identified as 44-year-old Vincent Milne, in the bathroom. Milne's sister and brother-in-law, who live in the house next to the apartment, told fire investigators he was a heavy smoker.

Investigators found smoking material, including a full ash tray, in the fire debris. Based on the evidence, investigators believe the fire may have started in the ash tray or on a piece of furniture in the corner of the living room. They believe the Milne was asleep in bed, and the fire woke him up. Authorities believe he wasn't able to escape through the front door, so he went into the bathroom. There Milne wet a towel and tried to breathe through it, but the smoke and heat were too strong.

A day earlier, firefighters responded to a call where they treated Milne for injuries when he fell off his bicycle. The accident was brought on by heat related injuries. He had been taken to Springhill Medical Center, where he was treated and released.

An autopsy will be performed by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences to determine the exact cause of death.