Elderly couple dies in house fire

North Tonawanda, N.Y. (WIVB) - An early morning fire in Niagara County leaves an elderly couple dead.

Ronald Moyer, 88, and his wife Margaret, 89, died Wednesday morning. They had lived in the home for more than 60 years.

The situation could have been much worse if it weren't for three young men, who called 911.

Brandon Licht and his two friends, Justin and Chris, spotted shooting flames in the City of North Tonawanda.

"We just saw smoke a couple streets over and we turned on the street and we saw flames and we thought it was a bonfire, and we realized there wouldn't be a bonfire at two in the morning," said Brandon Licht.

Justin Gonka said, "Brandon pulls up to the house, he's dialing 911, I go 'Chris come on lets go knock on the door next door, wake them up at least,' and then no one was doing anything, it was dead out here, we were the first ones to arrive."

Fire crews arrived shortly after 1:30 a.m. Wednesday.

North Tonawanda Fire Chief Joseph Krantz said, "The first arriving engines found the entire front of the house engulfed in flames, we did initially have a problem with water supply from one of the nearest hydrants actually, but not to any extent that it would have solved the problem with the occupants."

Krantz said they recovered the body of an elderly woman first, soon after they started searching for her husband.

"The found the second victim almost in the side entrance, both the residents of the building were deceased," said Krantz.

"I couldn't believe there was this big of a fire, and the neighbors were just sleeping though it. I would have thought someone smelled smoke or even the neighbors would feel heat or feel it coming in the windows or something," said Brandon Licht.

The fire company did not have any indication that there were any operating smoke detectors in the home.

As neighbors learned the news the elderly couple died, it was clear the two people who lived in the home will be missed.

Investigators are looking into a cause.

The couple have five children and 20 grandchildren. Ronald was involved with the Knights of Columbus where he ran bingo, until he recently retired.