Man’s body found inside burning home in DeBary

BEACON PHOTO/MARSHA MCLAUGHLIN
Scene of blaze — This house at 54 W. Highbanks Road in DeBary was the scene of a blaze that killed its owner July 29.

By Pat Andrews
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted Jul 31, 2012 - 8:09:27pm

When Volusia County sheriff’s deputies and Orange City firefighters responded to the scene of a house fire on Highbanks Road in DeBary July 29, they found the body of an adult man inside the charred home.

That man has now been identified as 55-year-old Joel Lipkowitz. He died of smoke inhalation and thermal burns, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Brandon Haught said.

A call about a fire at 54 W. Highbanks Road was received by the Sheriff’s Office at 9:19 a.m. Sunday, July 29, after a passer-by spotted flames coming from the house’s windows. Firefighters began dousing flames at about 9:25 a.m., then entered the residence. They found Lipkowitz’s body at about 9:34 a.m.

The Sheriff’s Office’s Major Case Unit is conducting an investigation into the death. The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

The house was up for sale. Realtor Pamela Arthur said, “We’d just got an offer on the house.”

It was a sad situation, she said.

Arthur said she knew Lipkowitz only professionally.

“He was a single man who lived there by himself. He was kind of reclusive, but super nice,” she said.

A son and grandchild live in Central Florida, she said.

Arthur said she had heard that Lipkowitz tried to make it out of the house, but was overcome by smoke before he could escape.

— pat@beacononlinenews.com

Reader Comments

The comments posted below are posted by readers, not by The Beacon staff. These comments express the views and opinions of the authors, and not the administrators, moderators or webmaster. The comments forum is governed by these rules. Please use the report abuse link if you find offensive comments.

Comment on this article

Commenting is closed for this article.

If you would like to contribute a letter to the editor, please click here.

Did you find this story interesting or informative? Subscribe to The West Volusia Beacon to read more stories by Pat Andrews, along with others from our award-winning writers. Subscribe now!