2 dead after Brooksville home 'fully engulfed' in flames: HCFR

Fire kills husband, wife in Brooksville

Firefighters are working to figure out what caused a fire in Brooksville that killed a husband and wife. Aaron Mesmer reports.

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - Two people died after a home in Brooksville caught fire overnight, according to the Hernando County Fire Rescue.

Hernando County Fire Rescue and the City of Brooksville Fire Department responded to the 19000 block of VFW Road in Brooksville just before midnight on Tuesday.

Firefighters attempted to rescue the two adults, but they were pronounced dead. Friends identified the victims as Lynda Barthwick and Scott Langevin, a couple who got married last year.

"I couldn't believe it. It just broke my heart. I just sat there and cried," said Marian Jimmo, who shared with FOX 13 a photo of Lynda and Scott's recent wedding on Captain Memo's Pirate Ship in Clearwater Beach and said Lynda just celebrated her 60th birthday last month.

According to Hernando County Fire Rescue, multiple 911 calls reported a house fully engulfed in flames.

The first unit arrived at midnight to find a home ‘fully involved’ in fire.

Due to the ‘significant’ amount of fire, firefighters were unable to make initial entry into the home. They then initiated defensive fire attack and, shortly after, discovered two victims near a doorway. Firefighters tried to save them, but it was too late.

"They were good people. The gentleman helped out, helped us out with a pumpkin thing we had at our church," said Steve Goodwin, a neighbor. "[Lynda] would come into church service and sit in the back in her motorized chair."

Friends said Lynda often required a wheelchair to get around. Investigators aren't sure if her mobility issues played a role in any possible attempt to escape the home.

"Lynda had a stroke, but she'd get out of the wheelchair and she was learning to walk slow, but she was walking around a lot and she had a strong will," Jimmo said.