DANVILLE -- Just before the holidays, there is a tragedy out of Montour County where investigators say a fire at a home has claimed the life of an 88-year-old man Monday afternoon.
Now, neighbors say his wife has lost a husband and a home just two days before Christmas.
Firefighters worked to battle a blaze inside a home on Cross Street in Danville; a fire that investigators say trapped and killed 88-year-old Eugene Yohn.
Louis Kramarz lives across the street and came home to chaos.
“The house was engulfed in flames, there was fire trucks everywhere, the back streets tied off,” said Kramarz.
Investigators say Yohn was in an enclosed porch where he and his wife Doris kept several oxygen tanks, and that’s where officials believe the fire broke out.
Doris was able to escape, running to safety thinking her husband was following behind.
Neighbors say Doris lost her husband and her home just days before Christmas.
“When I seen Doris down there I cried,” said Alice Bialecki. “She's not in the best shape herself. He can't see very well.”
“Even if everyone got out alive, I’d feel sorry for them because it’s a tragedy to lose your home in the first place. I don’t even know if they got the dog out or not. I would hate to think that she literally lost everything,” said Kramarz.
Officials say Yohn was in poor health and had failing eyesight and believe that may have prevented him getting to safety.
“Anytime that I've gone to school or worked or gone past, Eugene was always doing yard work and such,” said Haleigh Allen. “I just go over and see if I can help out or anything."
State police fire marshals on scene said there is too much damage to determine what caused the fire in Danville