Elderly man dies in house fire on Eagle Avenue in Alameda

ALAMEDA, Calif. (KGO) -- Officials say one person died in a house fire on Eagle Avenue near Oak Street, which is a block from Park Street in Alameda Monday morning.

Neighbors say a 94-year-old man lived alone in the home, and some added that he has lived there his entire life. ABC7 News learned the man had live-in help during the week that would stay with him, except during weekends.

Neighbors also said he would cook for himself, but would forget something was cooking at times and that he has caused a kitchen fire in the past.

"I went outside to go see and be nosy and make sure everything was okay in the neighborhood and then I smelled smoke," neighbor Jill Rydman said.

Rydman rushed to call 911, knowing her elderly neighbor was likely still inside his home.

Firefighters arrived shortly before 6:00 a.m. and found the house completely engulfed in smoke and flames.

"He was an old guy, he was about 93, 94...he wasn't too well all the time anymore, couldn't remember things, but he had a friend of ours who lived there during the week with him. He helped him cook," neighbor Jacqui Marriott said.

She says his caretaker and her friend, worried something like this might happen. "Leroy would be cooking and he'd fall asleep while cooking and he set fire to his kitchen before," Marriott said.

Marriott is heartbroken over her neighbor's death. "It's just so awful to think of something happening to somebody that way, it's not a nice thing to think about, makes you feel sick inside," Marriott said.

Officials are investigating to determine the cause of this fire.