A raging fire in a Weston home claimed the life of an elderly man in a wheelchair Wednesday night, authorities said.
The blaze began around 8:30 p.m. at the home of Jerome and Mattie Taylor on the 1700 block of Lakeshore Circle.
Neighbors had called 911 to report the fire, and one neighbor was able to pull Mattie Taylor, 79, out of the home.
But Broward Sheriff's Office deputies, who were the first to respond, were unable to reach her husband and by the time Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue crews arrived, Jerome Taylor, 81, was still stuck inside.
Firefighters entered the two-story home to search for Jerome Taylor, but the intense flames drove them back. By the time they reached him, he had already died.
It took about 30 firefighters nearly 25 minutes to extinguish the flames. The fire did extensive damage to the first floor of the home.
Mattie Taylor later told detectives that she had heard her husband yell "fire" and he had told her to get water, but by the time she reached the first floor room he was in, the door was too hot for her to enter.
Mattie Taylor was taken to the Cleveland Clinic Hospital as a precaution.
