Firefighters found a man dead Monday morning at the scene of a house fire south of downtown Fort Wayne.
The Fort Wayne Fire Department responded just after 5:30 a.m. to the 700 block of Dewald Street, just east of Fairfield Avenue, where they found heavy smoke and fire coming from the rear of a house, according to a written statement.
When crews went inside the house, they found a victim inside on the first floor, the statement said. Firefighters immediately removed the person, who was later pronounced dead at the scene, the statement said. Assistant Fire Chief Jim Murua confirmed the person was male.
Firefighters searched the home further but did not find anyone else inside, the statement said. The man’s identity was not available early Monday afternoon, but a neighbor at the scene earlier described his interaction with the deceased as cordial yet not overly familiar.
“He never did say his name, but he always said ‘hi’ to me as he walked by,” said neighbor David Cook.
Firefighters had the blaze under control in about 35 minutes, but it caused heavy smoke and fire damage, the statement said. The deceased man’s identity and cause of death would later be released by the Allen County Coroner’s Office.
