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96-year-old man dies Monday morning in Magna house fire

A man died in a house fire early Monday morning in Magna.

At about 4:10 a.m., a 911 caller reported that someone was trapped in a burning house near 3400 South and Broadway Street (7700 West), said Unified Fire Authority spokesman Ryan Love.

A Unified Police Department officer arrived first and found the victim — identified as Willis Shepherd, 96, who used a wheelchair — about 10 feet from the front door on the main floor of the house, Love said. The officer pulled Shepherd out, but he died at the scene, Love said.

Two other people were in the basement, and they escaped the house on their own, Love said.

The fire appears to have started in the basement, but crews do not know the cause, Love said. UFA and UPD were investigating as of Monday morning.

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