Officials say Denison house fire accidental

Jan. 31--Denison Fire Rescue officials said no one was injured Monday after two homeowners were forced to flee their burning home.

Fire Marshal John Weda said crews were dispatched to the single-story home in the 3000 block of Maurice Avenue shortly after 2 p.m.

"There was an elderly couple inside the house at the time of the fire," Weda said. "She (the wife) started smelling something burning, couldn't find anything when she looked down, so when she looked up, she saw flames in the attic."

Weda said the woman acted quickly to get herself and her husband out of the home safely.

"She helped her husband into a wheelchair and wheeled him out of the house," Weda said. "By the time she was out of the house, neighbors had seen smoke coming out of the roof. They were able to help the couple move further away from the house."

Weda said crews extinguished the flames within 20-30 minutes and damage to the home was largely concentrated to the attic and not the living area.

"They didn't have insurance and had been living there for approximately 60 years," Weda said. "As I understand, they're going to try to repair it. Hopefully, they'll be able to do that."

The American Red Cross responded and will assist the couple.

Weda said the fire was accidental in nature, but will remain under investigation until he can rule out one final, potential cause. The marshal said there was nothing the couple could have done to prevent the fire, but provided all homeowners with tips to be prepared in the event of a fire.

"Make sure you have working smoke alarms," Weda said. "Make sure you have an escape plan to get out of your house. Don't ever try to put the fire out yourself. Get out of the house, call us and let us come take care of it."

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