This is exactly my suspicion. Instead of relying on Fire fighters,  if people had stayed and watched for sparks, they could have saved lives. I know they would be risking their lives, but I just can't believe that fires grow so big so quickly that they consume an entire house. They start with a spark and a small flame and over several minutes or hours they become big.  I mean, if this old guy can do it, then many people can do it too.