YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) -- Tears filled Ernest Cottle's eyes as he recalled his efforts to save his neighbor.
The 46-year-old man, called ``Big E'' by his friends, showed visitors a Christmas card Willa ``Cookie'' Payne had personally delivered on Tuesday. It was signed ``Cookie and Family.''
``I wasn't trying to be a hero, I was just trying to save her life.''
Firefighters found Payne, 57, dead on the dining room floor of her Youngstown home early Thursday. She lived alone in a two-story brick house, where the porch was decorated with candy canes for Christmas.
Fire Lt. Kevin Johnson said the fire, confined to the first-floor dining room, was apparently accidental. A smoke detector was inoperable. The victim was slightly burned and may have died from smoke inhalation, Johnson said.
``My daughter, Kandice, was on a chat line and looked out the window and saw the fire,'' Cottle said. ``She screamed, 'Daddy, Daddy, Miss Cookie's house is on fire!''' The Cottles live across the street.
Cottle said he grabbed a sledgehammer and tried to break open the front door of his neighbor's house. But the smoke was intense.
``I was trying to save her - her kids grew up with mine. She was like a sister - I can't believe it happened,'' he said. ``It just breaks your heart.''
Another neighbor, Laura Wylie, said she believes that Payne recently retired after 30 years working at Delphi Packard Electric.
Wylie said Payne had a lot of friends on the block.
``I can't believe she's gone,'' she said.
