Family members said a man died in a Wednesday morning fire while he was trying to save his ailing father.
Fire crews were called to 7409 N. 42nd St. near Hanover just before 5 a.m. Officials said that when they arrived, the fire engulfed as much as 90 percent of the house. Shortly after crews arrived, the roof of the home collapsed.
Shawn Bohbot tried to save his father, Manasse, when the blaze broke out. Both men died at the scene.
Four girls, ages 2, 4, 6 and 13, and their mother, Lisa Bohbot, made it out. A family member told KETV NewsWatch 7 that Shawn woke Lisa and saw 4-foot flames coming from a space heater. Shawn Bohbot told his wife to get the children and get out while he went to help his father. The 13-year-old helped the younger children get out, the family said.
The Omaha Fire Department has not yet confirmed a cause.
Shawn Bohbot was a family man who loved his children and cared for his father, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, family and friends said.
Gene Zweerink lives nearby the charred remains of the home. He said he was close to the Bohbots and their four daughters.
"Lisa woke me up, showed up with her kids and told me to call the fire department. I called the fire department," Zweerink said. "I tried to console her. No one could get in the house. It was just up in flames."
Dan Dabney is related to the couple and lives nearby. He said Shawn Bohbot was just starting his own business.
"He had just built that big garage, was doing lawn service, bought a trailer and mower and stuff. I don't know what Lisa's going to do," Dabney said.
Dabney and others said the children were the center of their father's world. He built them a playground in their front yard.
"They were just trying to make it," Zweerink said. "Life was tough for them. (It is going to be) even tougher now."
Those wishing to help the family can make a donation at any US Bank branch.
The deaths bring the total of Omaha fire deaths this year to at least 20, according to KETV's records.
Home Was On WellFirefighters said the nearest fire hydrant was about two blocks away, and that hindered firefighters' efforts. The city's utility company aims to have hydrants no more than 600 feet from any structure, but the fire chief said it was about 1,800 feet from the house to the hydrant on Wednesday.
The home used a well system instead of the water lines from the Metropolitan Utilities District. Firefighters said on Wednesday that they're prepared for such situations, but it can make a difference in getting a fire extinguished quickly.
"The hydrants are a long ways away, and we had to have two trucks to have enough hose to lay into the structure here, so the water supply was a bit of a problem for us," said Mark Ervin of the Omaha Fire Department.
Crews had to use the truck's 500-gallon water tank while firefighters raced to hook their hoses and connect to the hydrant. The water tank holds about five minutes' worth of water, according to fire Capt. Bernard Bruce.
"That gives the hydrant man time enough to make connections to the hydrant and the pump operator to supply the pressure," Bruce said.
Firefighters said that access to hydrants is something they encounter periodically.
Douglas County Health officials estimate that about 10,000 private household use wells countywide. The most common areas for wells include Ponca Hills, near Cunningham Lake and near Forest Lawn Cemetary, the area of Wednesday's fire.
Firefighters suggest well users should consider switching onto the MUD system.
"Time is of the essence," Bruce said. "Every moment that fire is growing in all directions, smoke's getting worse, the heat's getting higher. This is a difference."
MUD officials said that property owners who would like to connect to its lines must apply and then pay for the engineering costs of connecting.
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