86-year-old man killed in house fire in Springville identified

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The man who was killed in a house fire in Springville has been identified as 86-year-old William M. Whisman.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above is from a previous broadcast and will be updated.

The flames broke out at a home on Avenue 176 around 5:30 am Monday.

Mark Seitz, who lives on the same road, said that Whisman was a good man who enjoyed his time outdoors, church and his pets.

Investigators say by the time firefighters arrived, at least half of the home was engulfed in flames, making it difficult to recover any remains.

Firefighters searched through the home multiple times and during the final search, found Whisman's body and what is believed to be animal remains.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.