Wayne man dies in condo fire

The Oscars may have saved Mary Brawley's life.

The 80-year-old Wayne resident, who usually retires early, stayed up to watch the Academy Awards and was just dozing off about 1 a.m. when she smelled an "awful" odor in her condo and called police. That smell came from a smoldering fire next door that claimed the life of her neighbor.

Bernard H. Kerrigan, 76, of Lisa Way in Wayne, died of smoke inhalation and burns, according to the Delaware County medical examiner. His cat, Tiger, also succumbed to the heavy smoke, fire officials said.

"Thank goodness I watched [the Oscars] last night or I wouldn't be here," she said Monday.

Brawley was at the scene collecting a few items to take with her until her condo unit could be cleaned. While there was no fire damage, the heavy stench of smoke still hung in the air.

Brawley described Kerrigan as a "very good neighbor" who would help her trim bushes and install lightbulbs in outlets outside her condo that she couldn't reach. She said he was a bachelor who had outlived his parents and only brother.

Chief Jim Kelly of the Radnor Fire Company agreed with Brawley's assessment of her good fortune.

"It is lucky she woke up and smelled the smoke," he said.

Kelly said firefighters were called in by police at 1:06 a.m. to investigate a possible "heater backfire" at Brawley's home - just blocks from their station. Upon arriving, they noticed smoke coming from next door.

Once inside Kerrigan's condo unit, Kelly said, they found "smoke all the way down to the floor." About eight feet from the door, they found Kerrigan dead on the floor.

"We found water running in the sink," Kelly said. "We think the fire started in the area near the couch."

Investigators were speculating that Kerrigan might have tried to pour water on the fire.

Kelly said Kerrigan's smoke alarm was sounding when firefighters arrived, but Brawley's device and the smoke alarm in the other adjoining condo unit were silent.