In Oakland, California, a man was discovered deceased on Christmas morning following a residential blaze, according to local authorities.

Emergency services were alerted to the fire at approximately 6:15 a.m. A 37-year-old man had initially notified his family about the situation and promptly helped evacuate his father, aunt, and brother from the home. Michael Hunt, a representative of the Oakland Fire Department, provided these details during a recent statement.

It is believed that the man either chose to stay inside the burning house or re-entered it to retrieve personal items. Unfortunately, he may have been disoriented or affected by the smoke during this critical time, as per Hunt’s observations.

The firefighters managed to extinguish the flames within 30 minutes and discovered the man still inside the residence, who it appears succumbed to smoke inhalation.

Officials are continuing to investigate the incident, but preliminary assessments suggest that the fire may have been accidental in nature.