One man died and several others are displaced from an early morning blaze in a Pottsville apartment house.

The fire broke out at about 2:45 a.m. at 324 E. Norwegian St., killing a 59-year-old man and forcing about 13 people into the freezing cold.The fire started in the rear of the victim's second floor apartment. He was found in the bathroom."His apartment was fully involved by the time the fire was reported," said Pottsville Fire Chief Todd March.The blaze would have made rescue impossible, he said.March said a first floor resident saw flames coming through the windows of the second floor apartment and called 911. But by that time, the fire was already an inferno."Crews got there pretty quick considering the weather conditions," March said.There were three apartments, one on each floor. Three people were evacuated from the burning building, and another 10 from the building next door, he said.The Red Cross is helping them.A smoke alarm was blaring in the third floor apartment as rescuers helped the man who lived there to safety."Police and firefighters did a great job of getting those people out, and from the building next door," March said.The second floor resident was pronounced dead by deputy coroner Scott Clews, March said.The cause of the fire, and the cause and manner of the man's death have yet to be determined.State police fire marshal John Burns is investigating.All seven city fire companies responded to the blaze, as did firefighters from Minersville, Port Carbon and Marlin.Efforts to reach Schuylkill County coroner David Moylan were unsuccessful early Tuesday.