A Staten Island man was killed in a house fire today when an electrical blaze broke out in the basement, authorities said.
The next door neighbors called 911 at 4:35 a.m. when they smelled smoke coming from the Demorest Avenue house.
“My husband smelled smoke,” said Domenica Labita. “But we couldn’t see any fire around.”
When firefighter arrived there was smoke pouring out of the Westerleigh home, Labita said.
“They went in, they opened the door and the smoke was so thick, you couldn’t even see your hand in front of your face,” Labita said.
Firefighters pulled William Steiniger, 69, out of the charred house in cardiac arrest, said a spokesman for the FDNY.
The man, who neighbors said lived alone, was rushed to Richmond University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, police said.
It took 45 minutes to get the blaze under control, fire officials said.
“He was a nice man,” Labita said of her longtime neighbor.