Man Rescues Neighbor From Haltom City Fire

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HALTOM CITY (CBSDFW.COM) - A house fire in Haltom City early Monday left two people hurt, however, one of them is being hailed as a hero. The incident began at about 3:40 a.m. in the 3200 block of Field Street, close to Haltom Middle School.

Heavy flames were ripping through the home when firefighters arrived at the scene. But nobody was inside of the structure.

According to officials, neighbor Roberto Aldana came over and broke out a window to help rescue his elderly neighbor. Aldana said that 83-year-old Eli Douglas was standing at the window screaming for help.

"I wasn't going to let him die," Aldana stated.

Douglas lost his wife of 64 years after a car crash in July 2014. Aldana vowed to look out for him afterward. "I've lived here for a while and he's been living here by himself for a while. So, I told him, if you need anything, just call me. I literally told him, if you need anything, just yell. He did," said Aldana.

It took Aldana a second to process what was happening, before running outside to see the house engulfed in flames. "The only thing I was thinking was, I have to get him out," Aldana said. "There's no time to be scared. Scared people don't react."

Aldana broke the window with the palm of his hand and hoisted Douglas onto his back, pulling him to safety. According to fire crews, a few more minutes inside of the home would have been too late for Douglas. "I was just worried that I couldn't get him out in time," Aldana added. "It wasn't frightening, but I knew I had to get him out of there."

Aldana suffered cuts to his hands from breaking the glass. He was treated by paramedics at the scene and released.

Douglas was transported to Parkland Hospital in critical condition after suffering smoke inhalation. His family is hopeful that he will survive. That includes six kids, 24 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren. "Thank you for your generosity," Mandie Douglas, the elderly homeowner's granddaughter, said to Aldana. "We're very grateful."

Firefighters are not yet sure what caused the blaze, but believe that it might have started in the home's kitchen.