Man dies after early-morning fire at Des Moines home

A man pulled from a burning Des Moines home died later in the hospital Monday morning, officials said.

At about 4:15 a.m., Des Moines firefighters responded to a house fire in the 1400 block of East Ninth Street.

Firefighters pulled Stanley Strock, 85, from his burning house, and he was transported to the hospital, where he later died, said Brian O'Keefe, spokesman for the Des Moines Fire Department.

The fire appears accidental, though investigators have not released a cause, O'Keefe said.

The fire appeared to start in a bedroom in the back corner of the house, which sustained the most damage, he said. The victim was not found in that room, he said.

Firefighters did find any smoke detectors in the house, O'Keefe said. There were "a lot of personal belongings" in the house that made it difficult for firefighters to move around quickly, he added.