Savannah firefighters are still looking for answers after a deadly fire on the city's east side. One man died. His wife is in the hospital suffering from smoke inhalation and burns.
The fire broke out in a home on Texas Avenue around 4:30 Friday afternoon. Firefighters believe it started in a back bedroom, but they're still not sure how it started.
Firefighters fought heavy smoke and fire while trying to rescue the couple inside. Unfortunately, there were more obstacles to overcome. The home was cluttered with baskets, boxes and other things the victims collected through the years. There was so much clutter that firefighters couldn't even get through the front door. They finally broke through a window to get inside. Firefighters managed to help the woman get out; however, the man had already died.
The couple's neighbors, like Ed and Elizabeth Dowdy who live next door, couldn't believe what they were seeing.
"He's been here his whole life," explained Ed Dowdy, of his neighbor. "That's what's so sad, you know."
"It's hard," added his wife, Elizabeth. "I've known them for 14 years and we were friends."
Ed Dowdy said his neighbors were elderly. The man was in a wheelchair and the couple had a hard time caring for themselves.
"People get that old and in that shape," he said, "and there's no one to help them."
We tried to help them the best we could," his wife said.
"It's going to be hard," remarked Ed Dowdy. "I'm sure going to miss him."
As of Friday night, the couple's names had not been released. The wife was rushed to Memorial Health University. There's no word on her condition. Firefighters are still investigating to find out how the fire started.
