OAKLAND — A man in Oakland was found dead Christmas morning after his house caught on fire, officials said.

Firefighters responded around 6:15 a.m. to a residential fire in the area. A 37-year-old man had alerted his family to the fire and rescued his father and aunt as well as his brother, according to Michael Hunt, a spokesperson for the Oakland Fire Department.

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Hero’s Tragic End

The man either stayed inside or returned to gather his belongings, but may have been disoriented or affected by the smoke, Hunt said.

Firefighters were able to put out the flames in 30 minutes and found the man inside, who appeared to have died from smoke inhalation.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation but appears to be accidental, Hunt said.