Fire crews in Denton worked through the night Wednesday after a deadly blaze killed one in a house fire, and sent another to the hospital.
David Boots, the spokesperson and battalion chief for the Denton Fire Department, said they got called to the fire in the 2000 block of Houston Place at 10:55 p.m. on Wednesday.
He said crews arrived to heavy fire from the front of the house, and two victims were found in the back of the house where there was heavy smoke.
Boots said one victim, identified as 103-year-old Dante Bassi, died shortly after getting to the hospital.
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A woman was flown to Parkland Hospital's burn unit and remained there in critical condition on Thursday afternoon.
Neighbors identified her as Bassi's wife, Marilyn Bradley, in her 80s.
One neighbor described the couple as spiritual leaders within their Baptist Church.
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Another friend said she was friends with Bassi for 13 years, saying he was a WWII veteran, fighter pilot, and hero.
The deadly fire follows another one the day before, on Tuesday afternoon, in DeSoto.
An elderly couple died after neighbors and firefighters said the flames were too hot to get inside the house for a rescue.
The causes of both fires are still under investigation.
Boots said they are seeing their typical uptick of fires this winter and holiday season.
“We don’t know what caused this fire last night, whether it was something that, you know, was an electrical fire or could have been something else. Just pay attention to holiday decorations and making sure the circuits aren’t overloaded and making sure the wiring is in good shape," he said.
He said the combination of cold weather and holiday chaos sparks the yearly increase in calls this time of year.
“Space heaters, unattended candles, unattended cooking items on the stove, you know, where we get distracted and run off and leave things on an oven that’s cooking, and it catches fire," Boots explained.
He said it's also important to ensure you have smoke detectors throughout your house, and test and clean them regularly.
“Not just one but multiple that can awaken you in the middle of the night," he said.
