By Tom Embrey

Senior Writer

An elderly man was found dead inside an Aberdeen home that caught fire early Friday morning.

Aberdeen Deputy Police Chief Jim Foster said Stanley Black, 74, was found inside his residence on Saunders Avenue in Colonial Heights after authorities responded to a fire that was reported at 3 a.m. by neighbors.

The neighbors saw the fire after barking dogs woke them, Foster said.

“The house didn’t burn to the ground, but the interior suffered significant damage,” Foster said.

Foster said the victim’s body will be sent to the state medical examiner’s office in Chapel Hill to determine cause of death.

No other individuals were in the home, Foster said.

Arson investigators from the State Bureau of Investigation, along with local police and fire officials, were on the scene much of the morning Friday. Foster said report from the SBI on the cause of the fire isn’t expected until next week at the earliest.

Moore County’s arson detection dog was also brought to the scene Friday to assist with the investigation.

Fire departments from Aberdeen, Southern Pines, Pinehurst, Pinebluff and Seven Lakes responded to the fire, along with Aberdeen police, Moore County EMS, Moore County Public Safety and the Moore County Sheriff’s Office.

Contact Tom Embrey at (910) 693-2484 tembrey@thepilot.com.