An elderly man believed to have been confined to his bed died in a house fire in the 5200 block of East Capitol Street SE early this morning. D.C. Fire/EMS crews responding to the call at about 5:30 a.m. encountered heavy fire conditions originating from the basement of a two-story duplex unit at 5213 East Capitol Street SE, according to department spokesperson Pete Piringer. Three residents from the other unit were able to escape unharmed, and one of them tried to assist the man who was trapped in the basement, but was unable to reach him due to excessive heat and smoke from the fire, Piringer said. The man, an 88-year-old male whose identity has not yet been released, was pronounced dead on the scene. The fire, which is believed to be the result of an accident, is estimated to have caused between $200-$250K worth of damage. The family living in the other unit has been displaced by the damage.