CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. -- A tough day for firefighters in Cheektowaga as the body of an elderly man was found underneath a collapsed roof after a fire at this home Saturday morning. Crews arrived at Pine Circle a little after 8:00 a.m. after a neighbor had noticed flames and heavy smoke coming from the first floor.
"Neighbor tried to see and wasn't sure if he was home because apparently he had fallen a few days ago,” remarked Pine Hill Fire Chief Leonard Luh. “Unfortunately we found him in the house."
Luh said this fire wasn't without its challenges. A nearby fire hydrant was partially frozen with low pressure, so another line was dropped to a hydrant down the street. Crews retreated from the fire at one point when structural issues in the home also posed a safety threat.
Luh remarked, "This lower portion, that's pretty much two-thirds collapsed and we also have a partial collapse on the second floor."
We're told the victim lived by himself and hadn't been out of the house much within the last year. Investigators say it appears he had a hoarding problem, as well.
An emotional Luh said it’s never easy dealing with a fire that turns fatal.
"It's just sad because people who are older and how they take care of themselves and their property - it’s not easy. We're in the service to protect lives and property. And when you can't save a life, it’s hard.”
Luh explained the house appears to be a total loss. Fire investigators are working to determine a cause, but do not believe it is suspicious.