Aurora, ILA homeless man who had been invited to stay at a friend's Aurora house was the victim of a tragic fire accident that destroyed the 34-year-old building.
Dean Swiekatun invited the as yet unnamed homeless amputee to stay with him after a chance encounter at an alcohol rehabilitation facility. Swiekatun, who is wheelchair-bound due to a car accident, suffered mild smoke-related injuries but is expected to make a full recovery.
The victim and his dog had been staying with Swiekatun for little more than month at the time of the fire. The dog managed to escape unharmed and is currently at an animal shelter.
An investigation as to the cause of the blaze is currently ongoing, with local fire Chief Mark Turley telling the Denver Post that electrical malfunctions, shorted-out Christmas lights and cigarette ash are likely culprits.
"[Swiekatun] was willing to help people," says Henry Westrich, a neighbor who runs a church food pantry where Swiekatun volunteers, in an interview with the Post. "Witness the fact that he had a homeless man living with him."
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