80-year-old man killed in house fire in South Milwaukee

SOUTH MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- An 80-year-old South Milwaukee man was found dead in his kitchen following a house fire on Saturday, December 21st. The victim has been identified as Eugene Eastway.

According to authorities, the South Milwaukee Fire Department responded to 1609 Manitowoc Avenue around 1:30 p.m. after receiving a call from a neighbor -- who saw smoke pouring from the rear of the home.

After extinguishing the fire, officials located Eastway on the kitchen floor.

The cause of the fire is unknown; however, officials say a burner on the stove was in the "on" position, even thought the knob had been melted off.

Police say a fire extinguisher was also noted on the kitchen floor, and police believe Eastway may have been attempting to put out the fire when he was overcome by smoke.

According to the Medical Examiner's report, the cause of death was due to thermal injuries and inhalation of products and combustion.