A Tuesday morning fire on Providence Road resulted in the death of an elderly man, the destruction of a home, and the displacement of a family.

According to Abingdon Volunteer Fire and Rescue Chief Herb Austin, the home at 3139 Providence Road was destroyed when an electric receptacle in the master bedroom malfunctioned.

Wendy Ezzell, who lived in the home, awoke to the smell of smoke in the master bedroom and managed to awaken her fiance, Fred Graef, and their three children—all of whom were in the bedroom end of the home—before the fire began to spread, according to Austin. However, they were unable to evacuate an elderly man, identified by Lt. Scott Little of the Gloucester Sheriff’s Office as William Ezzell, 80, who was in the other end of the home.

Robert Parlett, public information officer with AVFR, said that the call came in at 3:49 a.m., and firefighters were on the scene within five minutes. Flames were visible in the house, said Parlett, and live wi...