102-Year-Old Man And 76-Year-Old Woman Die In Tamarac House Fire

TAMARAC (CBSMiami) – Firefighters in Tamarac raced to douse the flames burning inside a home on Wednesday that trapped and killed two elderly people.

The fire started around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at a home in the 7300 block of NW 65th Street.

When they realized two people were trapped, one of them yelled, "We got a patient right here in this room! They're coming out with a patient," as he used his hands to break a window.

They pulled a 102-year-old man out of a bedroom window.  Despite their efforts, the man did not survive.

A 76-year-old woman also died when she arrived at the hospital.

Homeowner Mary Dawes tried getting her out.

"There's one person who got so confused. I tried to get her out and she went back inside and then the fire department got her out," Dawes said.

Inside the home, there is a charred mess in bedrooms that have hospital beds and wheel chairs.

The Chief Building Inspector from Tamarac tells CBS4's Ted Scouten the damage was extensive.

"The condition of the house inside is completely burned out," said Claudio Grande, Chief Building Official with the City of Tamarac. "It's going to need to be, probably demolished.  I don't think these type of houses you can repair, they're modular homes," he said.

Firefighters determined 5 people were inside when the flames erupted.

"I went to the bedroom and I saw black smoke," recalled Dawes.  "I was so frightened. I hollered, Fire!  Call 911!"

According to Dawes, she lives in the home with her daughter, several friends and a renter.

"I rent one of the rooms to a lady. Ya know, I rent one of the rooms to a lady and there were two others, that's it," she said.

The building inspector says the damage was most extensive in the rear of the home.

"What we've seen is the two back bedrooms and the front bedroom but the garage they were all burnt.  So apparently the fire traveled really quick," he said.

The state Fire Marshal's office and BSO are investigating.