Man killed in house fire near Fort Worth ran in to try to save dog, fire chief says
A man was killed in a house fire in Watauga early Thursday morning when he ran inside the burning structure to try to save his dog and became trapped, Chief Shawn Fannan said.
Dale Etter Vaughan, 72, was identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office as the victim.
He was pronounced dead when firefighters pulled him from the home, Fannan said. The dog, a Dachshund, was also killed in the fire.
Two other occupants of the home, including the man’s spouse, were able to escape the fire unharmed, Fannan said.
The tragedy at the residence in the 6500 block of Old Mill Circle marks the first fatal fire in Watauga in 12 years.
“It’s devastating for the family, and we’re sorry for their loss,” Fannan said.
Firefighters battled the blaze through the early morning hours, he said, but the fire spread throughout the entire home, causing it to become a “total loss.” The two surviving occupants of the home have plans to stay with family members in the area, he said.
The cause of the fire was ruled to be accidental. Fannan, however, couldn’t immediately say what led to the blaze.
Firefighters from Watauga, North Richland Hulls, Haltom City and Keller were dispatched to the home in the Fort Worth suburb around 1 a.m., he said. The occupants of the home told firefighters the man was in the back bedroom, he said, so crews entered through a window, found the man and brought him outside.
He was already dead at that point, Fannan said.
The spouse reportedly stated they had noticed their dog had been left behind and the man went inside.
The fire started in the central living room of the one-story home and moved upward toward the attic, Fannan said. When the flames reached the attic, the fire quickly spread to the rest of the house, he said.
Firefighters had the blaze under control within a half-hour and cleared the scene by around 7:30 a.m., he said.
The American Red Cross was on scene assisting the occupants of the home.
The Tarrant County Arson Task Force was investigating the fire. Fannan noted that doesn’t mean they suspect arson.
This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 7:39 AM.
