Around 3:48 a.m. on Friday, March 29, 2019, the Polk County Sheriff's Office Emergency Communications Center (ECC) received several 911 calls in reference to a single-wide mobile home on fire at 4630 Fighter Road in Bartow. Polk County Fire Rescue and PCSO deputies were dispatched.

According to the investigation so far, one of the three occupants of the structure, 50-year-old Richard Rogers, heard a noise that woke him up, then smelled smoke, alerting him to the fire. He yelled for both of his roommates - 81-year-old Joan Koch and 72-year-old Bernard Johns - to wake up but got no response. He called 9-1-1. He was able to get out of the mobile home. 

Each of the three residents rent rooms in the mobile home - they are not related to each other. Ms. Koch and Mr. Johns were found deceased inside. PCSO is conducting the death investigation, and autopsies will be conducted to determine their exact causes of death.

The State Fire Marshal will investigate the cause of the fire.