MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – A man died on Tuesday after a fire erupted inside his home in Miami Gardens, his family told Local 10 News.
The fire was reported around 3:15 a.m. at a home near Northwest 33rd Court and 180th Street.
The victim’s family identified the man as Phanor Thomas, who they said was in his 60s.
Local 10 News spoke with Thomas’ nephew Tuesday evening who said he did everything in his power to save his family.
“I woke up out of my sleep to it and I just tried to get my grandma out and my uncle out, but he ended up being in the back and kind of got lost in the smoke,” he said. “I tried to go back in and find him, I couldn’t find him, and then the paramedics came, and the firefighters came, and they found him.”
Officials confirmed that Thomas was airlifted as a trauma alert to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where he later died.
According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, firefighters arrived at the home to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the single-family residence, possibly from a bedroom.
Firefighters used hose lines to extinguish the flames while removing the barred-up security windows and doors.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Thomas’ family told Local 10 they remain devastated and wonder what else could’ve been done to save their loved one.
“We just trying to grieve right now, you know what I’m saying,” said Thomas’ nephew.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue told Local 10 they are unsure whether the bars in the home prevented the man from getting out but did say the incident is a good reminder that if their home does have burglar bars, it’s important that they also have a release latch so the bars can be removed in case of a fire.
A GoFundMe page has been created to help the affected family during their time of need.