KEWANEE, Illinois – A man died in a house fire in the 600 block of Wilbur St. of Kewanee early Monday morning.
A neighbor called authorities upon noticing the house on fire around 1:30 a.m. on March 19.
"I woke up and the house was in flames," says neighbor Timothy Hicks.
Fire and police crews arriving on the scene reported that the fire had almost entirely engulfed the first floor of the home and extended to the second.
The crews removed 58-year-old William Nightingale from the home, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities later identified the cause of death as smoke inhalation.
On Monday, neighbors remember Nightingale as a kind man.
"He was a very nice guy. He mainly kept to himself. He helped me out a few times," says Hicks.
"I hope him and his family well and that everything comes easily to an end," says neighbor John Ricknell.