One person is dead after a house fire that injured a Fort Worth firefighter Saturday morning, fire officials say.
At about 10 a.m., Fort Worth firefighters were called to a structure fire in the 2400 block of Shropshire Street.
The home belongs to Carl Martin and his wife. They were home at the time with their niece and her 23-year-old daughter.
"We think the heater messed up, but we don't know. It sounded like something popped and I looked in there and saw a little fire. By the time I looked back it was a big fire," Martin said.
He, his wife and his niece made it out, but his great niece was still inside.
Two men from a group home next door heard their cries for help and tried to rush in to save her, but they weren't able to make it past the entry way.
"I got in and there was a little flame to the right where the hallway is and before you know it there was just smoke that engulfed me," Dennis Stewart said.
By the time firefighters arrived, the 23-year-old had died.
Officials with the Fort Worth Fire Department confirmed one other person was transported to an area hospital with burn injuries and a firefighter suffered a lower leg injury.
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"We do keep his family in our thoughts and prayers at this time along with the family here at this home. This is obviously something that we take extremely seriously. Our hearts go out to these residents, here," said Mike Drivdahl, public information officer for the Fort Worth Fire Department. "We're very said to have this kind of news."
Stewart said his neighbors have always been generous. The night before the fire, they'd brought food over for the men next door.
He now hopes the community will give back to them in their time of need.
"They need help. Pray for the family," said Stewart.
The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.
