1 dead, 1 hospitalized after residential fire in Town of Tonawanda

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — One person is dead and another was hospitalized following a house fire early Friday morning in the Town of Tonawanda, police announced.

The fire began around 4:30 a.m. at 557 Englewood Ave. and is believed to have been caused by cigarette smoking, police said.

One of the residents of the home, 71-year-old Mary D. Rogers, was unable to escape from the home and died at the scene, according to police.

The other resident of the home, aged 75, was rescued from the fire by passersby and was taken to ECMC to be treated for smoke inhalation.

The fire remains under investigation. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the Town of Tonawanda Police Department at (716) 879-6614 or through its confidential tip line at (716) 879-6606.

Adam Gorski is a Buffalo native who joined the WIVB News 4 team in 2022. You can find more of his work here .