Article on Fatal Fire

Man dies in Polk Township house fire
MARTA GOUGER and Eric MarkManaging Editor/Internet and Pocono Record WriterJune 09, 2007JONAS — State police are investigating a fire that claimed a man's life at a home on Dotters Corner Road in Polk Township early Friday afternoon.Bryan Owei, 52, was found dead just inside the front door of the home by Polk Township Volunteer firefighters, according to state police at Lehighton.A state trooper at the scene said a gas can was found in the house, but added the cause of the fire has not been determined.A state police fire marshal is investigating. An autopsy is scheduled for Sunday.Owei was alone when the fire started, police said. His wife arrived on the scene later.Polk Township Volunteer Fire Company was dispatched at 12:20 p.m. and the fire was out in less than an hour. Also on the scene were Sun Valley, West End and Penn Forest Township firefighters, as well as West End EMS, Wind Gap EMS and fire police.A neighbor, Mike Griffith, called in the fire."I came out and smelled smoke. It didn't smell like someone barbecuing," said Griffith, who lives next to the home where Owei died.Griffith said he could see smoke from between the trees that border his property. He headed out to the road and saw smoke coming from the upstairs bedroom, he said."I tried the door and it was locked," Griffith said. "I didn't see flames, just brown smoke. I wish there was more I could have done."Griffith said Owei and his wife lived in Jonas, but worked at a group home near Philadelphia for children with problems. The job required them to stay at the group home but whenever they had time off they came to the home in Jonas, Griffith said.The Oweis were foster parents at one time. Whenever they had picnics former foster children would come back, Griffith said, adding that he and Owei have been neighbors for five years."He was a really good neighbor. He tried to help whenever he could," he said.Griffith said he and his wife referred to Owei as "Snake Charmer" because once he found a tiny snake in the yard, but thought it was dangerous.Once he got over the fear, he would imitate a snake charmer when he saw a snake.Griffith once had a bat fly out of a bush over his head, so his neighbor called him "Batman.""I was Batman. He was snake charmer," Griffith said.