One person has died following an early morning apartment fire in Baldwinsvile. The fire started around 2 a.m. in the Conifer Apartments on Conifer Drive. YNN’s Brad Vivacqua has the latest information.

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Onondaga County 911 received two calls around 2 a.m. from the Conifer Village Apartments. The first was for a person having trouble breathing, and then the second was for the fire.

When crews arrived, they found an upstairs apartment on fire with one man inside. Larry Gillette, 54, was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Several residents in other apartments were forced to evacuate. Officials say there was heavy damage to the structure of the building

"We're real fortunate in the northern section of Onondaga County with manpower, we had a full compliment and we have a mutual aid response plan that's in place that we work with emergency management and with that being said that's why the building is standing. It's a garden apartment style building, the fire walls did its job," said Deputy Chief Tony McIntyre, Baldwinsville Fire Department.

The Red Cross is assisting the residents who had to evacuate.

Investigators say the fire started from oil rags in a closet that were not thrown out properly.