WEST WARWICK — When he went to bed Tuesday night, Joseph Rogowski was familiar with two men, an uncle and his nephew, who were living in a slender house just a short distance across a small yard behind the house he rents.
Around 3 a.m. Wednesday, Rogowski recalled, the uncle escaped the burning unit through a window, crawled across the yard and banged on his door.
Rogowski says he could not see the uncle because the man, who typically uses a wheelchair, was down on the ground.
But he says he sorted out quickly and raced to the door of the blazing home to help his neighbor’s nephew, whom both he and the police identified as Jason Mather.
Rogowski, who runs a masonry business, says the door was deadbolted and his many attempts to kick it in were futile. Time ticked away.
“The smoke and fire was just way, too much,” he says.
Mather, 41, who had just moved into the unit about two days earlier, died in the fire.
He could have escaped, but instead went to a bedroom to alert his sleeping uncle, said West Warwick Fire Chief Jeffrey Varone said.
“The victim could have left,” Varone added. “He chose to wake his uncle up.”
Two West Warwick firefighters were burned trying to save Mather, Varone said.
Firefighters were called at 3:20 a.m. and found “heavy fire” pouring from the small house at 1846 New London Turnpike, according to Varone.
The uncle, though seriously injured, was able to tell firefighters what had happened. He was taken to a hospital nearby.
Varone said Mather had been sleeping on a couch in a living area. Awakening to the fire, he could have left through a nearby door, but went to alert his uncle. At that point, the two men couldn’t go out the door, according to Varone.
“The uncle went out the window. He thought his nephew was right behind him,” Varone said.
Told the nephew was still inside, Lieutenants Wayne Johnson and Eric Moreau went inside the burning house but couldn’t reach the victim, Varone said.
“They really made an effort to get this guy,” Varone said.
Moreau’s helmet was knocked off and he suffered burns to his head and ear. Johnson was burned on the hand. Their gear was badly burned. Both were taken to the hospital for treatment.