Editor's Note: This article has been updated to accurately reflect attribution.
POCONO TWP., MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — An investigation is underway after neighbors' attempt to rescue a man failed during a house fire.
According to the Pocono Township Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief, a house fire occurred in Pocono Township around 12:23 a.m. on Archer Lane.
"I heard a bang and then I heard a car horn, beeping ferociously. And then I heard someone scream Frank the house is on fire," said Joseph Coslar, a neighbor.
Truck company headquarters destroyed in fire
According to Monroe County Coroner Thomas Yanac, a bed-bound man, 79-year-old James Archer was inside the home. Neighbors tell us they tried to rescue him but the fire was too much and they couldn't enter.
Joseph Coslar describes the scene, as a deadly fire broke out up the street from his home.
"There's some kind of instinct when you know that there's people, you just wanna help."
Coslar says he and his sister sprung into action and went to the victim's house.
"We ran around the front we broke the glass window to see if we could get in cause we heard that someone was inside."
But he says it was already too late.
"By 11:10 p.m. the house was engulfed in flames. That was it. There was no getting inside the smoke was so thick the flames were hot. They were twice the size of the building."
The fire took around five hours to put out, and crews remained on the scene all morning putting out hotspots.
The coroner reports Archer was pronounced dead on the scene and was the only victim. The cause and manner of death are pending.
Neighbors say he was a kind man, who will be deeply missed.
"He was always good whenever we needed anything he was there for us so I can't say anything bad about him," said Millie Mattei, a neighbor.
Pocono Township Police Department and Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshals are conducting an investigation.
