Mt Druitt fire victim Anthony Salzone described by neighbours as ‘life of the laneway’

Neighbours have remembered 69-year-old Anthony Salzone who died in a fire at his Mt Druitt home in the early hours of Wednesday as “the life of the laneway” as police investigate whether a cigarette led to the fatal blaze.

A body was found in a townhouse destroyed by fire at Mount Druitt. Picture: Bill Hearne

A cigarette could have been the cause of a blaze which killed a 69-year-old man in his Mt Druitt home in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Anthony Salzone tragically died after he could not escape his low-set red-brick townhouse on O’Brien St when the fire erupted just before 1am.

Anthony Salzone tragically died after he could not escape his low-set red-brick townhouse. Picture: 9 News

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The fire spread to the roof of the building, leaving the home with extensive damage before the blaze was extinguished by firefighters.

A woman who lived with him managed to flee the home without injuries and began frantically knocking on neighbours’ doors asking them to call triple-zero.

The body is yet to be identified. Picture: Bill Hearne

Rayanna Franco, 17, lives next door and said they were lucky the blaze did not spread to her home.

“I heard the lady. She was banging on doors and she was saying ‘fire brigade, fire brigade’ over and over again,” she said.

Rayanna Franco, 17 Neighbours of the man killed in the fire in O'Brien St, Mt Druitt Picture by Mitchell Van Homrigh

“I would have thought that someone had already called so I stayed in bed for a bit. Then she kept repeating it and I came out to have a look.

“I saw the neighbours were outside and there was smoke coming from their house.”

The teenager quickly grabbed her young brother and ran outside.

Firefighters managed to contain the blaze before it could spread to the Franco’s home.

Firefighters arrived and contained the blaze before it could spread to nearby homes.

Neighbour Zuofiqar Ahmed lived three doors down and said Mr Salzone was very kind.

“Yes, he was very nice — friendly and spoke to us all very kindly,” he said.

“It is very sad. He was the life of the laneway at times.”

Neighbours Zuofiqar Ahmed said the man was ‘the life of the laneway’. Picture: Mitchell Van Homrigh

Another neighbour said that the elderly man used to like to smoke in bed and police are now investigating whether a lit cigarette sparked the fire.