Two people killed in a fire in Beavercreek over the weekend have been identified.

Jerry Starr, 79, and Bessie Burchett-Starr, 78, died in the Wendover Drive blaze on Sunday, Nov. 11. Starr died after being taken to Miami Valley Hospital and Burchett-Starr died in the home.

Investigators said functioning smoke detectors may have saved their lives.

Fire engulfed the house, located in the 2500 block of Wendover, around 4 a.m., said Beavercreek Battalion Chief Greg Connors. A neighbor called the fire department after he spotted flames shooting from the home across the street from his own.

“The whole front of the house was on fire and the bushes were on fire,” said Ben Clonch, the neighbor who called emergency responders. “You’ve got to do the right thing in a situation like this. You can’t just sit there and not do anything.”

A car in the driveway was also destroyed by fire.

Investigators have not determined the origin of the fire. The Beavercreek Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau and the state fire marshal are investigating.

Standing outside of his home Sunday morning, Clonch said he wished he could have done more.

“I would like, if I could go back, to run up to that side of the house and maybe try to yell and wake them up,” he said. “The fire was really large at that point so doing that would have been endangering myself.

I don’t want to sound selfish, but I just don’t want to get hurt,” he said.

Connors said Clonch made the right move.

“Trying to make a rescue without the gear is not in the best interest,” Connors said.

Staff writers Andy Sedlak, Mark Gokavi, Drew Simon and Gabrielle Enright contributed to this report.