A Delaware man died in a house fire trying to rescue his eight pit bulls, six of which were puppies.

Ed Strickland, the neighbor of 36-year-old Nate Lewandowski, told MyFoxPhilly.com that a fire broke out at Lewandowski’s Elmhurst home on Saturday afternoon.

He said Lewandowski first escaped the house, but then ran back in to try to save the dogs as the sound of puppies trapped inside the flames could be heard.

Investigators say first responders pulled Lewandowski out of the burning home following an explosion. He was pronounced dead at Christiana Hospital, WPVI reports.

The mother of the puppies – who managed to escape and also tried to re-enter the burning home – is being cared for by a neighbor.

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