Kyle grandmother, three others rescued from house fire

Throughout the day, many of those who drove by a house on Goforth Road east of Kyle glanced over for a quick look. A few hours earlier a dramatic rescue took place here.

“When we received the call initially from dispatch, we were told there were four occupants, two were outside the building and two were still inside the building,” said Fire Marshal Mark Schultz.

A picture shows the ladder that firefighters from Kyle used to rescue a grandmother and another family member. They were trapped on the balcony as the fire burned in a first-floor room.

“You stay focused, life safety is our priority, so we knew we needed to take care of the victims first, the homeowners and everything,” Schultz said. “We took care of them first the fire is secondary, we are concerned about their property but are more concerned about their lives.”

Video taken by a neighbor shows firefighters at the home during the rescue. Once out the four residents were taken to the hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation. The grandmother was transferred to a trauma center in Austin. 

Investigators spent the rest of the day trying to determine the cause of the fire. What they do know is that this fire has an important message.

“This family is very fortunate to have gotten out, they don’t have smoke detectors in their home. I don’t know what woke them up but I’m thankful they woke up and were able to get out,” Schultz said. “Homes really should have smoke detectors and here at the fire department we do have smoke detectors available to folks that need them for their homes, and we will be happy to come out and install them for the folks in the Kyle area.”

The family will not be able to live in the house until repairs are made. Officials say the hospital and the Red Cross are providing assistance.