A house fire early Sunday morning in Hicksville claimed the life of a retired Nassau County police officer. A raging fire and the acrid smell of smoke at 15 North Drive woke up neighbor Owen Lynch. Lynch says he knew his neighbor, 79-year-old Lawrence Bennett, who lived alone was trapped inside. He ran next door to try and save him. Unfortunately, thick black smoke pouring out the side door made it impossible to enter, so Lynch and other neighbors tried the windows. They say they tried everything to save their neighbor. The Nassau fire marshal says it appears Bennett tried to escape the flames. Firefighters found him in the dining room near the front door. Investigators spent most of the day sifting through the charred rubble hoping to find the cause of the fire. Fire officials don?t think the cause is suspicious.