Lawyer says Ogden man who died in house fire could have been saved by compassion

OGDEN, NC (WWAY)– Fire officials have identified the Ogden man who died during a house fire early Sunday morning. They say the man was 66-year-old Peter Carl Darius. Darius was the former owner of 307 Putnam Drive, but he lost the home to foreclosure last year and it was auctioned off in March.
Darius’s former lawyer says he complained about being fined for some plants, sheds, and a fence he had put up.

“I was concerned that he might have got frustrated because of the problems that he was having with the homeowners association,” said Attorney Jennifer Harjo. ”I was concerned that he might have done something very unfortunate to himself or to the property because of that.”

Neighbors say Darius continued to live in the house even after it sold at auction. He was supposed to move out Sunday, the same day the fire killed him. Arson investigators are still looking into the cause of the fire.