Terminally Ill Man Loses Home to Fire

An early morning fire forced a dying man out of his home on Thursday.

Daniel West had just returned from the hospital this week to his Grand Prairie home at 813 Ceilo Vista Drive. West’s family says he was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was given less than six months to live.  He’d returned home to spend his final days.  That home is now destroyed.

"They just told him there’s not much they can do for him.  They sent him home,” says Tony Garcia, West’s son-in-law.

The fire broke out around 12:40 a.m. Thursday.  Daniel West’s family tells NBC5 that West's home health care nurse smelled smoke and woke up West’s son, Shaun.

“Thank God the nurse was here. I don’t think they would have made it. Probably would have gotten killed,” says Garcia.

Shaun West discovered the fire spreading across the garage ceiling and pulled his father to safety. Oxygen tanks erupted in the fire and fueled the blaze.  When firefighters arrived, the flames had engulfed the home.

The family has lived in the home since the 1970’s. West’s daughter, Shannon Garcia, says the family didn’t have insurance.  The Red Cross is assisting the family.

“Knowing their dad’s going to die, then to lose their house they’ve been living in since they were born, see the flames like that, it’s just heartbreaking,” says Garcia.

Paramedics took West to the hospital for treatment.  His daughter says he’s in good spirits and is anxious to be released from the hospital to spend time with family.

The home next door has heat damage from the intense fire.

Investigators suspect an electrical issue in the garage caused the fire, possibly old wiring and an overloaded system with the oxygen tanks contributed to the problem.

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