89-year-old man dies in Fresno house fire west of Highway 99

An 89-year-old man died early Wednesday when a fire broke out in a home in Fresno west of Highway 99, the North Central Fire District reported.

The victim was identified Thursday by the Fresno County Coroner’s Office as Wesley Fitzgerald of Fresno.

The blaze was reported about 6 a.m. Wednesday on North Vista and West McKinley avenues. Fire district spokesman Andy Isolano said when the first truck arrived, the house was fully engulfed and a second alarm was sounded, calling for more equipment.

One person made it out of the home but Fitzgerald was trapped inside, and firefighters were unable to make their way inside due to the intensity of the flames, Isolano said.

A GoFundMe account has been set up in Fitzgerald’s memory.

Investigators are trying to established the cause of the fire.

This story was originally published April 8, 2020 at 9:38 AM.