Neighbours mourn loss of friendly, hard-working senior after deadly Oshawa house fire

A 76-year-old man has died after a fire tore through his Oshawa home Monday evening, Durham police say.

Emergency services were first called to the residence in the area of Centre and Gibb streets around 7:50 p.m. Monday.

Durham police Const. Nicholas Gluckstein said when officers got there the house was already fully engulfed in flames.

"The fire department was on scene and attempted to enter the residence through the main floor, but unfortunately were unable to due to multiple obstructions," he said.

"They were however able to enter the residence through the second storey, and subsequently located a male who had no vital signs."

The man was rushed to hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The victim's identity has not been released.

Speaking at the scene Tuesday morning, neighbours choked up as they remembered a man they only referred to as Bruce — someone they described as always friendly, hard-working and helpful.

"I don't even know what to say. He was just a super neighbour, really," said Terence Porter, who had lived nearby for over seven years. "If you needed help, he was always there. Always waving."

'I started screaming his name,' neighbour recalls

Porter said he was in his garage Monday night when he first heard a pop that sounded like broken glass. He then ran into the house and looked out his front window, where he saw his neighbour screaming at the end of her driveway.

"Then when I opened the front door I saw Bruce's house on fire — and I screamed, and I ran across the street right up to his door," he said. "I started screaming his name, trying to get his attention and everything. 

"I ran back home and grabbed a fire extinguisher, just to see if I could put out a little bit of the fire — see if I could get in there. But by the time I got back, the eavestrough and everything was all lit and falling down. I couldn't get any closer."

Two minutes later, the fire department pulled up, Porter said.

"It was way too hot," he said.

Fire marshal investigating

Porter told reporters that Bruce was an arborist who was always willing to help anyone who needed it — and recalled a time his neighbour tracked down an upright piano as a gift for his kids.

"He was just an all around great guy," Porter said.

Neighbour Alison Orr, who has lived in the area for almost 20 years, echoed that sentiment. She called the victim one of the hardest-working people she's ever seen, and a phenomenal neighbour.

"It's just so sad," she said.

The Office of the Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire, a spokesperson told CBC News in an email Tuesday.

Police have said preliminary evidence suggests the fire was not suspicious.