Grandfather of laid-off Weslaco firefighter dies in blaze

WESLACO — An elderly man is dead after being trapped Monday evening in a burning house near East 18th Street and South Bridge Avenue.

The man was reportedly the grandfather of a former Weslaco firefighter who was laid off recently. A neighbor confirmed the man’s name, but The Monitor is not publishing it until family members are notified. As of press time, the victim’s wife was in critical condition.

Both were taken to Knapp Medical Center after they were rescued from the burning building Monday evening. Paramedics planned to transport the man to San Antonio for treatment, but he died before they could load him into the helicopter, said George Garrett, Weslaco’s director of homeland security and emergency management.

Garrett confirmed there were only two people inside the house on Christian Court when the bedroom caught fire. The flames appeared to be isolated to that one room and firefighters extinguished the blaze quickly.

The fire burned 50 percent of the elderly man’s body, neighbor Maria Puga said, citing information the fire marshal provided to her.

“They were sweet, sweet neighbors,” she said as she choked back tears.

Puga and her husband called 9-1-1 after a neighbor who was jogging spotted the fire and knocked on their door to alert them.

“I was jogging and I saw the flames,” said Mario Zavala, who alerted the Pugas to call for help. “At first I thought someone was burning trash … but then I saw smoking coming from the house.”

Puga said she also called one of the couple’s eight children.

“They were not just friends,” Puga said of her 80-something neighbors. “I feel like they were my parents also.”

Firefighters received the first call at 6:21 p.m. and arrived at the scene at 6:24 p.m., according to dispatch logs.

This is at least the third structure fire in Weslaco in three days. Early Saturday morning, a mobile home went up in flames after the four children inside escaped. And in a separate incident Sunday, more than 10 people were left homeless after a fire destroyed one home and severely damaged another.

The cause of Monday’s fire is under investigation, Garrett said.

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Gail Burkhardt covers Mission, western Hidalgo County, Starr County and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4462. Elizabeth Findell covers Pharr, San Juan, Alamo, the Mid-Valley and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4428.

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