Witnesses tell ABC7 News the fire broke out just before 6 p.m. on Euclid Avenue, which they describe as a quiet residential road.
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"I would say (the flames) were at least 150 feet in the air," says a neighbor, who didn't want to be identified. He was one of the first on scene, and began to record with his phone.
"I was afraid of the ash stream. I mean you guys wouldn't have believed it. It looked like glitter from all the embers. I was shocked."
The victim's brother arrived on scene after learning of the fire. He wouldn't talk on camera, but tells ABC7 News that his brother was 76-years-old and owned the house.
"There was somebody in the house who passed away. And the fires were set at multiple locations on the property. And that's kind of scary to me. I don't like hearing that," says the neighbor.
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The neighbor adds he's thankful it's a cold night and not very windy, given how quickly the fire could have spread to nearby homes.
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"I am surprised. I bet you if it was windy, it would have been a lot worse than this," says the neighbor.
Family members of the victim say they don't know of any possible motive for the fire.
Investigator are hoping to determine an exact cause of the fire and how the man died.