Man Dies In House Fire
EL PASO, TX. – An elderly man diedMonday morning in a house fire in East El Paso, the first fire fatality in the city in nearly seven months.
The fire ripped through the home at 1509 Honeysuckle, just off of Montana Avenue, near the El Paso International Airport. The El Paso Fire Department said it was smoker’s carelessness that caused the fire that nearly destroyed the home and left the man dead.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, witnesses said, flames were coming out of the roof of the home at least 10 to 15 feet high. Itfire crews nearly an hour to put out the fire.
Killed in the fire was 83-year-old Alfonso Saldivar, who lived in a separate living area inside the home. His 84-year-old brother, Jose, and his 80-year-old wife, Estella, escaped without injury.
Saldivar’s dog, however, was injured in the fire by tar that dripped from the ceiling, according to fire officials, causing burns on his face, side and legs. The dog was taken to a vet to be treated but was expected to survive.
Neighbors say Jose Saldivar, who owns the home, was distraught by the death of his brother. At one point, he even attemped to re-enter the home to try and get his brother out.
“We came over to talk to him and he mentioned that his brother Alfonso was still at the house. We were very concerned about that and of course we never saw him come out so we assumed the worst,” said Saldivar’s neighbor, Jose Barron.
Fire officials say the home sustained nearly$60,000 dollars in damage. They alsotold ABC-7the Saldivars do not have any homeowners’ insurance. They are now staying with their daughter.
