Homeowner found dead after Bucks County fire

PLUMSTEAD TWP., Pa. (WPVI) -- Officials say a homeowner who was unaccounted after a fire in Bucks County has been found dead inside the home.

Action News has learned his name is Earl Friedemann. The 59-year-old man lived alone.

His body was found before midnight, four hours after the blaze started.

The fire broke out after 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 6600 block of Point Pleasant Pike in Plumstead Township.

It took firefighters an hour to put it under control.

Action News is told they had a tough time battling the flames because the house was packed with items that fueled the fire.

Chief Scott Fleischer from the Point Pleasant Fire Department said, "It was a lot of difficulty, a lot of material inside the house, a lot of things. The fire had a tremendous head start, so we had to work aggressively to get ahead of the fire."

He also said the scene didn't qualify as a hoarding case, but it was close.

Neighbors told Action News the man lived there for more than two decades, and he rarely left the home.

His vehicle was still in the driveway, which is why firefighters said he was unaccounted for.

Earlier reports indicated firefighters were searching for a second person.

It turned out the homeowner was the only person missing.

The Bucks County Fire Marshal tells Action News the fire started in the kitchen where homeowner was found dead.

It has still not been determined what started the fire.