Phyllis Charlene Lewis had managed to telephone emergency call-takers early Friday morning to report her Pasadena home was on fire. But moments later, officials said, the line went dead, the wires likely destroyed by heat and flames.
Firefighters would find her unconscious, along with her husband, Charles Franklin Lewis, near the front door of their home. The couple, both 69, died later at a local hospital.
Pasadena Fire Marshal David Brannon said the blaze, reported about 4:30 a.m., appeared to have started in the back of the house. When firefighters arrived at the home in the 1200 block of Monroe near Pasadena Boulevard, billowing smoke and flames engulfed the back of the house, which was heavily damaged.
Pasadena Fire Chief Lanny Armstrong said the woman had suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and she had an oxygen generator in the bedroom, where the fire apparently began.
It was unclear what role, if any, the device might have played in the blaze, Armstrong said, noting that both the victims had been smokers.
Vance Mitchell, a spokesman for the Pasadena Police Department, said the couple was taken to Bayshore Medical Center, where Charles Lewis was pronounced dead. Phyllis Lewis died later.
Officials said a probationary firefighter strained her back while helping to pull Charles Lewis from the house. She was taken to the hospital, where her condition was not released.
Armstrong said investigators were trying to determine how the fire started, but they do not suspect arson or foul play. "We're pretty sure it was an accidental fire."
Next-door neighbor Jose Avila described the Lewises as good friends and the fire as "terrible."
"They were good neighbors," Maria Perez said of the couple, whom she had known about 11 years. "I'm sorry. It's sad for the family."
Another neighbor, Tim Williams, said the Lewises had lived in the home about 15 years and had grown children and young grandchildren.
"It's a tragedy," Williams declared.
Copyright 2012 - Houston Chronicle
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
