Firefighters pull sleeping man from bed in Walker County house fire

A Walker County man is safe thanks to firefighters who pulled him from his burning home. (New Waverly Fire Department)

NEW WAVERLY, Texas – A man is alive thanks to firefighters who pulled him to safety from his burning home.

The fire happened around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at a home in the Emerald Woods subdivision on Dove Lane off FM 1374 west of I-45.

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Firefighters said they entered the home and found the 56-year-old man asleep in a rear bedroom. The man was pulled from his bed and taken to the EMS crew waiting by the door, according to authorities. He was examined and given an all-clear by medics at the scene.

Firefighters said the man told them he works nights and sleeps during the day, so he did not notice when the fire started. Firefighters also said three of his smoke detectors were dead or missing batteries, so even though the home was filling up with smoke, there was no notice.

According to firefighters, a neighbor noticed the flames and called 911 in time for them to rescue the homeowner and contain the fire before it destroyed the home.

A Walker County man is safe thanks to firefighters who pulled him from his burning home. (New Waverly Fire Department)

Officials took the opportunity to remind people to make sure their smoke detectors have batteries and are working properly.

“January is the peak of the home fire season and so far this year Texas leads the nation with 19 deaths, including a fatal home fire earlier this week in the Willis area,” officials said. “Since Jan. 1, 180 lives have been lost to home fires, and experience has taught us that the majority of those deaths occur in homes that do not have working smoke alarms.”

People who need help with their smoke alarms can contact the New Waverly Fire Department at 936-344-6911. People should always call 911 for emergencies.


About the Author:

Daniela Sternitzky-Di Napoli has been a digital news editor at KPRC 2 since 2018. She is a published poet and has background in creative writing and journalism. Daniela has covered events like Hurricane Harvey and the Astros World Series win. In her spare time, Daniela is an avid reader and loves to spend time with her two miniature dachshunds.