A man attempting to rescue his blind neighbor from her burning house Saturday morning was driven back by smoke and flames and the 64-year-old woman inside died in the fire.
"I went up to the front door and started knocking and say a lot of smoke coming out of the creases in the door," said Frank Quintero. "There was smoke and flames coming out of the door."
The woman, later identified as Alma Crosby, lived alone in the house on East 52nd Street in the Flatlands neighborhood, said area residents.
"She was a very nice lady, quiet, said Quintero, who became the woman's handyman, fixing things around her house. She rarely left the house and seldom had visitors, he said.
Firefighters had the fire under control in about 30 minutes, The cause was under investigation, but police didn't suspect foul play.
