By Melody Gutierrez
mgutierrez@sacbee.com
A man died Saturday evening when his upstairs apartment caught fire on Carro Drive in unincorporated Sacramento County, a firefighter spokesman said.
Neighbors said they heard the man yelling for help, but attempts to save him were unsuccessful.
Firefighters suspect there were no working fire detectors in the "severely damaged" apartment in the 900 block of that street and just north of Swanston Park, said Capt. Christian Pebbles, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District spokesman.
The man, described as in his 50s, is believed to have lived alone. Pebbles said the man had caregivers, but he was unsure whether he was disabled.
"I saw the flames and I just ran over," said Patrick Worley, 21. "I wrapped a shirt around my face and got inside. I heard him say 'Help me.'"
But, Worley said the fire and smoke were too much and he had to get out.
"I yelled 'Go to the window,'" said Worley, who was visiting a friend on Carro Drive and did not know the victim.
The fire also displaced two families in the fourplex. The unit below the fire scene was unoccupied.
Angel Salazar, 27, was one of those displaced.
Salazar said his apartment was not damaged and just smelled like smoke. He said his brother-in-law's apartment next to his had some minor damage.
Salazar was outside when he heard someone yelling about the fire. He said his first reaction was to run to his apartment and get his toddler and girlfriend out.
"It was scary," he said.
A call to 911 was placed at 5:12 p.m. and firefighters arrived three minutes later, Pebbles said. The fire was put out at 5:23 p.m.
This was the second fire on Carro Drive since 2001, when 18 people were left homeless after a fire destroyed a fourplex on the same block.
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