York man, 71, dies in house fire, wife escapes

A 71-year-old man was killed when a fire roared through his York home early Wednesday.

William Lawrence Gregory was pronounced dead at the scene of Wednesday morning’s fire, York Police Chief Andy Robinson said. An autopsy was expected Wednesday afternoon.

Crews arrived at 301 Lakeview Drive about 6:45 a.m. and found the home fully engulfed in flames, Robinson said. Gregory’s wife was outside and said her husband had not exited the home.

York firefighters entered the home and tried unsuccessfully to locate Gregory but had to retreat due to the intensity of the flames, Robinson said.

York Fire Chief Domenic Manera said he arrived at the home just minutes after fire crews, and that the blaze had consumed about 75 percent of the home by that point.

The cause of the fire was unclear Wednesday afternoon, and investigators with the State Law Enforcement Division were working to determine how and where in the home the fire started. Manera said it’s standard protocol for SLED to investigate any fatal fire, and that there’s nothing to suggest foul play was involved.

“It appears the fire got into the attic rather quickly,” he said. “We kept chasing it through that attic. It was a good hour before we were under control, maybe longer.

“On the back side of the house, just about all the roof is gone.”

Manera said the smoke alarms in the home were working and activated during the fire, but because much of the blaze was burning in the attic, the alarms likely had a delayed reaction.

“Sort of like sprinklers in a building,” he said. “If a fire happens in the roof, the sprinklers aren’t going to do you any good. The smoke detectors activated, but it was delayed because everything was burning above them in the attic space.”

A couple of firefighters were treated for minor blood pressure issues, Manera said, and one firefighter was transported to a hospital with minor injuries after slipping on some ice and falling.

York, Newport and McConnells fire departments responded to fight the blaze.

Gregory’s wife is being assisted by the American Red Cross.

Manera told reporters he didn’t realize until late Wednesday morning that he knew the occupants of the home.

“Anytime you suffer a fire fatality, it’s difficult, but I didn’t realize till about 45 minutes ago that I knew these people,” he said. “I didn’t know this is where they still lived, but this man has been in my office.

“They’re all personal to me,” he said of fire fatalities. “But this makes it even more personal when you really have a connection and you know that individual. You’ve sat down and had discussions together about things.”

Mary Hardin has lived in the neighborhood 23 years. She and a friend walk through the area every morning, including down Lakeview Drive. On Wednesday, they were met with yellow tape, fire engines and smoke.

“To come upon something like this is devastating for all of us,” she said. “It’s horrific. I can’t imagine in this area that something like this can happen, but it goes to show you that it can happen in any area.”

This story was originally published January 20, 2016 at 9:24 AM with the headline "York man, 71, dies in house fire, wife escapes."