Fatal fire
DALLAS — An elderly woman died in an a house fire in Dallas late Monday night.
Flames broke out around 11:30 p.m. at a home in the 1400 block of Wagon Wheels Trail.
Firefighters said two elderly sisters lived there. One was able to escape the fire, but the other — 86-year-old Annie Cleveland — could not. Her body was found in a bathroom.
"It certainly helped that when they were coming to the scene, they knew that they might have somebody inside," said Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Captain C.J. Nichols. "Unfortunately, we were too late."
Investigators said they were not able to find any smoke detectors in the home.
It was devastating news for family members and neighbors who gathered outside the smoldering brick home in the bitter cold. Neighbors said the survivor had spent the last 30 years in the home caring for her older sister.
"She's a little shook up, but understandably so," Nichols said. The survivor is staying with family members.
Investigators had not determined the cause of the fire, but said it did not appear to be suspicious. The house was said to be a total loss.
If you live within the Dallas city limits and need a smoke detector, call 311 and Dallas Fire-Rescue personnel will install one free of charge.
E-mail cvega@wfaa.com
