An early-morning fire at a house next to Bivens Arm Lake left one person dead Thursday, according to Alachua County Fire Rescue.
The victim, who as of Thursday night had not yet been identified by the county's medical examiner, was found near the front door by firefighters attending to the blaze, said Fire Marshal Mark Smith.
A neighbor of the home, which is located at the end of a dirt road cul-de-sac at 1875 SW 35th Place, saw the roof was on fire and called 911 at 8:09 a.m., Smith said.
By the time city and county firefighters arrived about nine minutes later, he said, about three-fourths of the house was engulfed in flames.
Smith said the fire took about half an hour to extinguish. No other homes nearby were involved in the fire.
Officials are still unsure what sparked the blaze, though the State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating.
The Alachua County Sheriff's Office has also begun an investigation into the victim's death.
Smith said firefighters found no activated smoke alarms inside the home.
The house has since been condemned by Alachua County Code Enforcement.
