Man dies in Deakle Road house fire

THEODORE, Ala. (WALA) - A man died in a fire Saturday afternoon when his home near Bellingrath Road became totally engulfed in flames.

Deakle Road played host to a flurry of flashing lights Saturday afternoon. First responders worked to put out the fire that officials say claimed the life of Don Gun.

Anthony Smith lives across the street. He says he was working on his trailer when he heard an explosion and rushed to help.

"By the time I made it down the end of the driveway, his whole trailer was engulfed in flames, and I was going to try and save him, but by the time I made it to the end driveway there was no way that I could possibly go in there and pull him out," Smith said.

Smith says he lost a neighbor, and a friend, in the fire.

Tracy Ann Adock says she lost an uncle. She too made a move toward the home to try and help.

"By the time I got here, the flames were coming out of the roof so I saw the inside, the door was open, and I tried to run in but I got about 30 feet from the porch when a second explosion went off," Adcock said.  "That's when the flames came out at the porch, which I wasn't too far away from."

Adcock says the explosions went on for five to ten excruciating minutes, each one louder than the last.  She says the front door to the trailer was wide open when she approached it, so she has an idea of what happened.

"He was inside in the chair smoking a cigarette with oxygen on," Ann said.  "He was my uncle, married in, but he was like family. We were here all the time. It's a tragedy."