A birthday celebration turned tragic for a young couple in Taylor after their home burned early Saturday morning.
“I’m upset and I feel bad for her,” said Ella Dunn, as she choked back tears. Dunn is a neighbor and friend of the couple.
“He was just 28 years old,” said Dunn. “He just had a birthday two days ago and they were celebrating.”
A celebration that, according to Dunn, included a romantic dinner with candles.
“The dog woke us up and my grandson came out to see what was the matter,” said Harold Stoll, another neighbor. “He came in and said the house was on fire next door.”
Taylor Police Chief Mary Sclabassi confirms that officers from her department and the Taylor Fire Department responded to the fire around 3:00 a.m.
“A young lady and her dog got out,” said Stoll. “Her boyfriend was trying to get out and evidently, he was trapped at the doorway.”
“She ran out the back door and came to my door and was knocking on my door,” said Dunn. “She was just burned,” she added. “Her hair was burned and she was screaming for help for her boyfriend.”
Dunn’s boyfriend, David Kless, still trembling several hours later, feels heartbroken that he could not do more to help.
“The heat was just so bad,” said Kless. “If I had put my foot on that door, my shoe would have melted.”
Taylor Police and the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office confirm that a 28-year old man died in the fire. His name has not been released. The young woman who survived is 27-years old, according to Chief Sclabassi, and remains in a local hospital being treated for smoke inhalation.
The official cause of the blaze has not yet been determined. However, Chief Sclabassi tells 7 Action News the couple evidently fell asleep while several candles were burning.
