By Jill King Greenwood
The Pittsburgh Tribune Review
WHITE OAK, Pa. — Bill Barker relied on the kindness of neighbors to help him and his disabled adult son fetch groceries, fill prescriptions and get to medical appointments.
The White Oak man was scheduled to undergo heart surgery in coming weeks, and neighbor Vickie Tomko was happy to ferry him to the doctor’s office.
Tuesday morning, Tomko sat on her couch, staring out the window at the charred remains of the home where Barker, 76, and his son Mark, 42, died in a fire.
“I called the doctor this morning and cancelled his appointment this week,” Tomko said, her voice breaking. “It’s not necessary now.”
Investigators are piecing together what happened inside the Amherst Avenue home in the early hours when fire raced through the two-story structure. The two-alarm fire caused the first floor to collapse into the basement, and heat kept firefighters from entering to fight the flames, White Oak Fire Chief Jim Hoffman said.
It was early afternoon before firefighters could pick through the debris to find the men’s bodies.
Bill Barker’s body was found near the back door, Hoffman said.
“He may have been trying to get out; it’s hard to say,” Hoffman said. “This is really hard on the firefighters. It’s trying.”
Investigators don’t know what caused the fire, which drew more than 50 firefighters from a half-dozen departments. The Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office and county police detectives were investigating.
Vickie and Bill Tomko said the Barkers lived mostly in the basement of their home, which contained a pellet stove. The elder Barker had trouble getting around, she said. Mark Barker had mobility problems because of complications from Addison’s disease, an adrenal disorder characterized by muscle pain, weakness and difficulty standing.
Also found in the rubble of the home were a cat and a German shepherd that Hoffman said was Mark Barker’s “service dog.”
The father and son relied heavily on each other and neighbors since Bill Barker’s wife died seven years ago on Mother’s Day, Bill Tomko said.
“They were just the kindest, sweetest people,” Vickie Tomko said. “They would give you anything they had. Years ago, before they both got sicker and when Bill’s wife was alive, they had a huge breakfast on Christmas morning and they invited the entire neighborhood. It’s just so sad. We’re really going to miss them.”
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