A 55-year-old man died after a fire at an apartment building in Pontiac, according to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies responded to a structure fire in the 50 block of Cherry Hill Lane and, upon arrival, saw the building had been completely engulfed in flames.
A 63-year-old Pontiac woman who was standing outside of the building told deputies she believed a man was trapped inside. Due to the intensity of the fire, deputies couldn't enter the building.
After extinguishing the fire, firefighters searched the building and found the man's body inside.
The woman told police she was a resident of the apartment that caught fire. She said she possibly fell asleep with a lit cigarette in her hands, causing the fire, and her boyfriend became trapped.
She was treated for minor burns to her hands and legs.
The Oakland County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the cause of death as smoke and soot inhalation. The manner of death was ruled accidental.
Police say the cause of fire is undetermined at this time and the case remains under investigation.
