An early morning fire in the 1800 block of Avenue D in Brownwood claimed the lives of a mother and son on Sunday.

According to Fire Marshal Buddy Preston, the preliminary investigation indicated that the fire was possibly caused by the malfunction of a gas heater in a bedroom of the home.   Preston stated that all three bedrooms were on the same side of the house.  The 94-year-old female slept in the rear bedroom of the home, her 66-year-old son was in the front bedroom and that the fire began in the middle bedroom.

At approximately 2:49 a.m. Brownwood Fire Department received the call regarding the house fire from a neighbor.  Two neighbors tried knocking on the door of the home, but were unable to get the residents’ attention. In addition to the two residents, their dog also perished in the fire.  No one else was staying at the home at the time of the fire.

The names of the deceased are not being released until all family members are notified.  Preston stated that other relatives are on their way to Brownwood and that the deceased female had another son who lives out of state.

Brownwood Fire Department, Brownwood Police and Lifeguard Ambulance responded to the scene Sunday morning.