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 the Wednesday morning 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 engulfed in flames, Robinson said. Gregory’s wife was outside and said her husband had not come out.

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

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

After an investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division, the cause of the fire was undetermined, Manera said Wednesday evening. Investigators said it started in the back porch area of the home, where there was a lot of electrical equipment and an HVAC unit. There was no evidence to suggest foul play.

“It appears the fire got into the attic rather quickly,” Manera 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.”

While going back over hot spots Wednesday afternoon, firefighters discovered “some arms” in the home, Manera said. The Rock Hill Police Department explosives team sent a robot into the home to inspect the items.

Crews also found several dead cats in the home, Manera said. They had been kept on the back porch area, and investigators believe Gregory was on the way out of the home behind his wife when he went to open the door to the porch where the cats were.

“He went to open the door to give them a chance to get out of the room that caught fire,” Manera said. None of the cats survived.

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.

“Any time 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 11:11 AM with the headline "York man, 71, dies in house fire, wife escapes."