EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A fire at an East St. Louis home killed a man while he was asleep early Tuesday morning.

The fire broke out in the 500 block of North 22nd Street around 6:30 a.m. Heavy smoke could be seen for miles coming out of the two-story home as fire crews arrived on the scene.

It took firefighters from the East St. Louis Fire Department close to two hours to extinguish the flames.

Once inside the residence, authorities found the body of a man who had been sleeping on the second floor of his home.

“We were unsure if anyone was in the home. A couple of the neighbors said they thought it was a guy in the home,” said Asst. Fire Chief Lamont Jones with the East St. Louis Fire Department. “Once we put the fire out and all the smoke cleared, firefighters did find a body.”

The St. Clair County Coroner identified the victim as 55-year-old Carlton Davis Sr.

Investigators said the home had no power, and they found kerosene tanks. Detectives said it appears Davis was using the kerosene heaters to stay warm.

“The neighbors spoke, and they said there was a guy living there, and he had no electricity or running water in the home,” Jones said.

It’s unclear how long Davis lived in the home and if he lived alone.

Officials said their hearts and prayers go out to the Davis family. At this time, the cause of the fire remains under investigation.