Elderly WWII vet killed in overnight house fire

POINT BREEZE (WTXF) - An overnight fire killed an elderly veteran who couldn’t get out of his home, overnight.

Firefighters got to the scene in Point Breeze right away at 2am, but they couldn’t get him out in time.

World War II vet Benjamin Boone, who was in his 90s and known as Uncle BB to the S. Taylor Street neighborhood, was trapped on the second floor.

Neighbors called 911 when they saw flames shooting out from his big front first floor window.

Also, Steve reports the fire department is looking at cigarettes as a possible cause.

There is no evidence of a working smoke detector.

FOX 29’s Steve Keeley reports Boone had one leg and didn't like to use his prosthetic leg. He used a stairlift to get upstairs and his burned wheelchair is out on the sidewalk.

Boone’s death is the 13th in the city this year. There were only 12 fire deaths all of last year.

His death is also the fourth since the city’s new fire commissioner started on the job, May 16.