Lawrence firefighters work in the aftermath of a house fire at 2632 Rawhide Lane, Wednesday, March 30, 2016.

One man is dead following a domestic dispute and an early-morning house fire Wednesday in southeast Lawrence, police said.

At 12:14 a.m. police received a report of a domestic dispute at 2632 Rawhide Lane, said Lawrence Police Sgt. Trent McKinley. During the dispute a man “displayed a handgun and threatened the occupants,” according to McKinley.

In addition to the man, a woman and several children were inside the home, McKinley said. The woman told police that after she was threatened she and the children left the home and called police.

Officers soon arrived on the scene, made contact with the woman and positioned several officers around the home, McKinley said. During that time the officers were able to see the man inside, although they had minimal contact with him.

“A short time later one officer said he could see a flickering light within the home,” McKinley said. “Less than a minute later the house was on fire.”

Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical was dispatched to the scene at 12:22 a.m., said Division Chief Eve Tolefree. Firefighters were advised not to approach the home because of the reported domestic dispute.

At 12:32 a.m. as the flames grew firefighters began a “defensive fire attack” from outside the home but did not enter, Tolefree said.

“This progressed fairly quickly,” McKinley said. “We kept officers on the perimeters, and they did not see anyone exit.”

Bill Atwell, who lives less than a block away from the home on Rawhide Lane, said he woke up around 1 a.m. to the sounds of sirens.

“I looked out the door and saw the blue house on fire,” he said.

Atwell said for about 45 minutes while the house was on fire he heard loud popping noises, which he believed to be ammunition exploding in the flames.

Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Division Chief Bill Stark said there were indeed popping noises during the fire, but he could not say what caused them.

Atwell said police and firefighters stayed through the night and he was unable to sleep through the commotion and his anxiety for the well-being of his neighbors.

After the fire was extinguished, firefighters and officers were able to enter the home and confirm that one man was dead inside, McKinley said. The man’s identity has not yet been released.

No fire department personnel were injured during the incident, Tolefree said.

A damage estimate to the home was not immediately available, Tolefree said. The fire collapsed much of the building’s support structure, Tolefree said. And firefighters had to “shore up” the building before entering to investigate further.

Around 1 p.m., firefighters entered the house and removed a body.

Douglas County property records show the home belongs to a Fernando Alvarez.

Police and firefighters taped off the scene and blocked portions of both Rawhide Lane and East 27th Street.

Investigators were still on the scene Wednesday afternoon.

Check back for more information as it becomes available.

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