A Collingdale man didn’t make it out of his home after a massive fire broke out.
A man died in a Delaware County house fire early Wednesday morning.
The three-alarm fire started at a home on Pittman Avenue in Collingdale, Pennsylvania shortly after 6 a.m. and a neighbor called 911. The flames caused the home to collapse. Smoke from the fire filled the air for several blocks.
"I heard sirens, smoke all over the place," said Laura Nance, a neighbor.
Michael Olcese, a 65-year-old retired postal worker and grandfather, lived at the home alone. Responding firefighters searched the home for hours after the fire was brought under control. They found Olcese's body below the living room.
"It's just devastating," said Anita Boyd, Olcese's neighbor. "My heart goes out to the families. Just devastating."
The fire also caused damage to nearby homes though no one else was injured. Both county and state officials are investigating the cause of the fire.
"The family doesn't believe there were working smoke detectors," said Collingdale Police Sergeant Kenneth Felker. "They want anyone listening to make sure they work."
