Sheriff Identifies Man Found In Burned-Out House In Brandon

BRANDON, FL -- The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office has released the identity of a man discovered dead inside a Brandon home following a fire on Feb. 4.

According to the sheriff, John Brown, 58, was found dead inside a home at 4027 Forecast Drive in Brandon after firefighters extinguished a blaze that broke out at the home and moved to a neighboring home around 1:24 a.m. Feb. 4.

The sheriff's office isn't saying if Brown died as a result of the fire or from another cause. The sheriff's office is also waiting for a final report on the cause of the blaze from the Hillsborough County fire marshal.

The a two-alarm fire erupted just before 1 a.m. in the Four Winds Estates, a neighborhood east of South Kings Avenue and south of Bloomingdale Avenue (see related story).

Both Brown's home and the neighboring home being rented by Tommy Sims were destroyed.

Sims said he was awoken by the sound of crackling flames and rushed to his neighbor's home to help. He said he tried to open the front door but was unable to get it open before the flames spread to his own home. He did, however, save his neighbor's dog.

Image via Tommy Sims

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