SAUGUS, Mass. --
A house fire in Saugus claimed the life of a 53-year old man Sunday morning.
The fire broke out at about 6 a.m. at a 3-story home at 283 Lincoln Ave, authorities said.
Pat Hussey, the homeowner, was on the first floor at the time of the fire.
"I heard the smoke alarm go off," said Hussey.
Hussey said she went looking for her roommate of 23-years, Steven Clain.
"I banged on his door and I screamed for him and he didn't answer me,” said Hussey. “Then I noticed smoke coming above the door, you know heavy smoke, so I panicked and ran downstairs and dialed 911."
Authorities said Hussey was able to safely escape before the blaze reached 3-alarms.
When firefighters arrived, they found Clain in his third floor bedroom. Fire officials said he suffered a cardiac arrest.
"They dragged him out of the room, back down the stairwell as the third floor lit up," said Saugus Fire Chief Jim Blanchard. "They got him down the stairs and out to the sidewalk. He was unconscious and unresponsive."
Firefighters were able to douse the flames, but said they faced other challenges such as power lines and ice on stairs.
"We couldn't get to the roof because of the wires,” said Blanchard. “So, it was all ground ladder work. We had to carry ground ladders to the rear of the building, to the side of this building and the snow was just brutal."
Authorities said one firefighter was hurt pulling Clain from the burning house. Both were taken to an area hospital where Clain was later pronounced dead.
"The only two wishes I had were that my pictures were okay and he was okay. So, I don't know," said Hussey. "I feel badly for his family."
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