Deadly overnight house fire in SW Miami-Dade home
MIAMI - A deadly overnight house fire in southwest Miami-Dade.
According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, just after 3:30 a.m., they received word of the fire in the 15800 block of SW 143rd Court.
When crews arrived, "They did find heavy fire in the garage which was used as an efficiency. Upon a quick search, they did find one victim, unfortunately, who passed," said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue battalion chief Joseph Waters.
Firefighters worked quickly to save the rest of the home. At one point Miami-Dade police said that a second body was found but later confirmed there was only one death.
"My father will always be my hero," said Anthony Pirraglia.
Pirraglia said his 68-year-old father Kenneth was asleep in his bed in the garage efficiency when the fire broke out. He said he and his father lived there since that was all they could afford after his mother passed away from cancer several years ago.
Pirraglia said he was at work when he got the call about the fire and went straight to the home where he found out about his father's death.
"I kind of knew what happened before it happened because they wouldn't tell me over the phone if he was okay. I kept asking 'Is my father okay' and they wouldn't answer. It's the worst feeling in the world but, you know, we all go through trials and tribulations and I'm going to push through it," said Pirraglia.
He said he was allowed to go into the efficiency and the only thing of theirs that survived was a charred photo album. He said he's not sure what he's going to do next.
"It's not livable. I don't know what I'm gonna do, where I'm gonna go. I have family in Vero Beach, Florida, but I guess I'm just gonna take it one hour at a time and it's step by step and day by day," he said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
