Man, dog killed in early morning Fort Worth house fire

An elderly man living alone died early Friday in a house fire that also killed his dog, fire officials said.

Authorities had not released the man’s name by late Friday, but neighbors said he was 72-year-old Wayman Green.

The cause of the fire and where it started were under investigation, said Lt. Kyle Falkner. Arson and bomb investigators are involved.

There were no smoke detectors in the house in the 2800 block of Finley Street in the Riverside neighborhood east of downtown.

Firefighters responded to a call shortly before 12:30 a.m. When they arrived, heavy flames were coming from the single-story house.

Neighbors told firefighters that someone was inside.

Just before they entered, firefighters heard a “minor blast” inside, fire officials said.

The man was found dead inside, and the fire was under control about three minutes later, officials said.

Neighbor Emma Caldwell said Green had been living alone for a few months.

“He had a brother that would come over and check on him from time to time,” Caldwell said Friday. “I saw him about two days ago walking his dog.”

Caldwell said that she and Green had been neighbors for 65 years.

“I’d wave to him when I’d see him,” Caldwell said. “But I hadn’t talked to him in a while.”

A dog was found dead in the heavily damaged house.

This story was originally published January 30, 2015 at 6:03 AM with the headline "Man, dog killed in early morning Fort Worth house fire."