A Miami-Dade house fire kills a father who lived in the garage with his son

David J. Neal

A man living in a South Miami-Dade home’s garage efficiency apartment died early Tuesday in a house fire, Miami-Dade police say.

Kenneth Pirraglia was 68.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said 15 units headed for the fire in the 15800 block of Southwest 143rd Court, near Zoo Miami around 3:35 a.m. to find “heavy smoke and flames.”

Miami-Dade police said one man was found dead. They at one point thought a second body had been found, but confirmed only one was found.

A database says Kenneth Pirraglia lived at 15856 SW 143rd Ct. with son Anthony Pirraglia. Herald news partner CBS Miami says Pirraglia told media that his father was asleep in the garage efficiency apartment at the house.

The garage apartment

The fire will be investigated by Miami-Dade police and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. Other county building officials might wind up involved also.

Online Miami-Dade County property records say that 1992-built house should have only one living unit and owners Anabel Melendez and Michael Batista claim homestead exemptions on the house as their primary residence. A comparison of overhead shots of the property accessible through county online records show a side door to the garage and a bathroom-style window added on the south side of the home between Feb. 7, 2016 and Jan. 28, 2017.

At that time, the house was owned by Jossie Ruiz, who bought it August 2004 and sold the house to Melendez and Batista in November 2021.

The south view of 15856 SW 143rd Ct. on Feb. 7, 2016 shows no side garage door and no window.
The south view of 15856 SW 143rd Ct. on Feb. 7, 2016 shows no side garage door and no window.
The overhead view from Jan. 28, 2017 shows a side garage door and a bathroom window added. These are not reflected in the property records.
The overhead view from Jan. 28, 2017 shows a side garage door and a bathroom window added. These are not reflected in the property records.

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