UPDATE TUESDAY -- The fire was caused by the victim smoking in bed, according to the Pottsville fire chief.
POTTSVILLE -- Flowers on the porch of a row home in Pottsville are there in memory of Thomas Howard, who friends call Moe.
Firefighters say Howard, 59, who lived on the second floor, died after a fire started inside his apartment.
Barbara Doyle will never forget Moe and his selflessness.
"He was a nice guy. He never asked for nothing and all that. He was just nice and well known in Schuylkill County," Doyle said.
The fire in the 300 block of East Norwegian Street also damaged the row home next door.
Alfred Rich, who manages the property, says all that matters is families made it out safely.
"There was three tenants in here at the time. Thank God that they smelled the smoke and got out of there," Rich said.
Next door to the fire, you'll find where Julie Collins and her family have lived here for a year. At eight months pregnant she's grateful she, her fiance, and two daughters made it out.
"It's wet. It's fire damaged. We have absolutely nothing. What I'm wearing now is what I have to wear. My kids are in pajamas," Collins said.
With her family by her side and community support, Collins says they'll pull through.
Right now it's just hard to cope with losing her home and her neighbor.
"He didn't make it. It was just so sad to hear that. I mean because we're never promised tomorrow. When certain things like that happen you can't help but think, wow, that could have been me. Thank God it wasn't," Collins said.
If you would like to help the Collins family you can contact Julie Collins at 717-824-9054.
Collins has a 3-year-old daughter, a 19-month-old daughter and is 8 months pregnant with a baby boy.