87-Year-old man dies in oakland county house fire

An 87-year-old man perished in a devastating house fire in Oakland County, Michigan, leaving his 72-year-old wife injured.

Fatal smoke inhalation in independence township blaze

Emergency responders rushed to the scene on Clintonville Road in Independence Township around 6:30pm Wednesday after receiving a distress call about the raging inferno.

Larry Dean Goforth, wheelchair-bound, was unable to escape the dense smoke, which his wife later told authorities she lost sight of. Despite valiant efforts by deputies and firefighters, they initially failed to penetrate the thick fumes and flames from inside the residence.

Deputies attempted to rescue Goforth twice from different entry points but were compelled back by the intense heat and billowing smoke each time. It wasn't until a third attempt that they finally managed to locate and extricate the elderly man.

At the hospital, Goforth was pronounced dead from smoke inhalation complications. His wife, who suffered similar injuries, was treated and released the following day.

The exact cause and origin of the house fire remain under investigation by the Oakland County Sheriff's Office Fire Investigations Unit.