PEORIA, Ariz. - Maricopa County Sheriff's officials said a man who was pulled from a burning house in Peoria after a bizarre home invasion has died.
An MCSO spokesperson said Steve Krzyzewski, 73, died at the hospital Thursday night.
A total of nine people were taken to the hospital after that home invasion turned into a first-alarm fire.
Officials on the scene said 72 firefighters responded to the house fire off of 75th Avenue and Thunderbird Road around 3 a.m.
Two people were home when a man in a mask allegedly broke into the house and started the fire with a blow torch, investigators said.
The homeowner shot and chased the suspect out. Officers found him down the road with a serious gunshot wound.
“I heard three different gunshots at three different times," neighbor Augustin Barraza said. "It was bang, bang, bang and then bang, bang, bang again.”
Eight other people, including some police and fire personnel, were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
One of them was a firefighter who ran into the burning house to save someone stuck inside. Officials said his turnout gear was significantly burned, and he suffered burns to his ears, but the firefighter is expected to be OK.
Peoria officials are working with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office to investigate.
"We could hear the neighbor yelling, 'call 9-1-1,'" said Brenna Cason, who lives next door. She woke up early in the morning to find her neighbors' house fully engulfed in flames.
"We could see the glow over top," she said. "But not a lot, through the smoke and ash. We did hear the first responders. It was just kind of a real shock being that close to home especially since our property lines are the same."
Cason said her family was worried about the homeowner and if the embers would reach her home.
"It is surprising you go to bed on Wednesday night and wake up Thursday morning with your world shattered," Carson said. "We lost a home to a fire a couple years ago and that's everything you've ever worked hard for. Every memory you've ever made, every picture -- it's all wrapped up in one little four-walled building and to have it all come crashing down and wake up and not have clothes is devastating. I can only imagine what he's going through right now.
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