Firefighters rescued a man from his burning home; Authorities said the two other people who lived in the home were found dead.
The fire started before 3:00 p.m. Wednesday. The home is located at the intersection of Sugar Lane and Prudence Drive in Sarasota.
"When I came home it was just a pillar of black smoke," John Garcia Junior said.
Garcia lives next door. It is unclear how the fire started or where it sparked inside the home.
Firefighters broke through a concrete wall in order to rescue the only survivor. They said his weight made it difficult to rescue him.
"It's very sad when anyone passes away and it happened so close to home," Garcia said.
Authorities have not identified the name of the victim, who they rescued, but have identified the two people who were found dead inside the home as 68-year-old Benjamin Langford and 68-year-old Cynthia Langford. Authorities continue to investigate the house fire.
"It's sad to lose a life like that (and) in that way," Carol Singletary, a neighbor, said.
