Neighbors remember man killed in shed fire behind Clovis home

Thursday, November 28, 2024 5:16PM PT
CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- A charred roof, damaged appliances and scattered wood.

A back shed went up in flames in a quiet Clovis neighborhood the night before Thanksgiving.

Both Clovis Police and Fire responded, but it was too late to save a man in his 70s who was believed to be living inside.

"He was a very good neighbor," says Rosy. "He used to come by and help us because we're older than him."

Rosy lives next door. She says she barely slept after hearing her neighbor, who everyone called "Chava," had died.



She says he had lived in that shed for over 31 years.

He loved gardening, worked at a packing company for over 30 years and, most recently, was a fast food chain janitor.

"He would get up at 2 am, and he would go and work," Rosy said. "He comes, and he keeps working around here. He was working all the time."

An investigation is underway into what exactly caused the shed to catch fire.

It's unclear if the shed had proper permits to house anyone inside.



Investigators have ruled out suspicious causes.

"The fire department is investigating the cause of the fire, our police department is investigating the circumstances surrounding the man that died, and we will be looking at the City of Clovis Building Department for additional follow-up to see what the condition of the shed of the building was," says Ty Wood with the Clovis Police Department.

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