HOUSTON – A 53-year-old grandmother was injured Thursday when her neighbor helped rescue her from her burning home on Houston’s south side.
Officials said Patricia Chance was alone with her dogs at her home on Corksie Street near Scott around 12:30 a.m. and had just fallen asleep when the fire started.
Chance said she tried to break out a window, but it had burglar bars on it. She went to another window and her neighbors were there to help pull her out.
Longtime Sunnyside resident Craig Chilo was outside his home when he saw the flames coming from Chance's house. He said he started yelling, hoping no one was home.
"I was saying, 'Get out! Get out the house! Get out the house! Fire! Fire!'” Chilo said. “So I ran over here (and) tried to take the water hose and tried to put the water hose on the flames, but I noticed the water wouldn't come on.”
Chance said Chilo's yelling woke her up.
“He said, ‘Get out! Get out,’ and that’s when I tried to hit the window and I’m like, ‘Oh, this is the one with the burglar bar,’ so I went around to the other window in my room and I just pulled the thing and pushed the window up and jumped out,” Chance said.
VIDEO: Grandmother recalls moments rescue from house fire
“She had raised the window up and I kind of just helped her out the window,” Chilo said.
Chance was taken to a hospital with minor cuts from the broken glass, and released a few hours later.
Chance said one of her dogs did not survive.
Chance said she lost everything, but she is still thankful.
“I just want to thank God, and I want to thank my neighbor for waking me up,” Chance said.
Two adults and two small children who live with Chance were not home at the time of the fire.
Firefighters believe a window air conditioning unit sparked the flames.