TOWN OF TONAWANDA, NY- Town of Tonawanda Police and Fire are investigating a fatal fire that happened Wednesday morning.
Sheridan Park firefighters were called to an apartment complex on Rosemont Avenue at Military Road at 9:30 am.
Firefighters say they had difficulty entering the apartment where the fire started on the second floor of the building. When they made entry, they say they found a male victim deceased.
The man has been identified as Randall Sala, 52.
All other residents made it out of the apartment complex safely. They say firewalls protected their apartments from being damaged by the flames. Some were distraught as they talked to 2 On Your Side about the loss of their neighbor.
"Oh he was so sweet. He was a really really good person. He was kind to everyone. He was a good man," sobbed neighbor Kathy Garrison."
Neighbor Marlene Benjamin said Sala lived with disabilities and smoked a pipe. She recalled, "He was a nice person. You hate to think of anyone not making it out."
Benjamin and Garrison said they almost didn't make it out themselves. They say a neighbor "Gracie" pounded on their doors and rang their doorbells when smoke started filling the multi-unit apartment building.
"I'm just thanking God right now that [Gracie] was not at work because she smelled the smoke and heard the alarm and called 911, rang my doorbell and got us all out safely," Garrison said.
Town of Tonawanda police detectives and fire investigators are now looking into the cause of the fire and the cause of Sala's death. No one else in the apartment building was injured, but one firefighter suffered a minor injury and was treated on the scene.
Firefighters who wish to will have the opportunity to attend stress debriefings.