A disabled man escaped a fire early Thursday, but his home was destroyed. It happened just after midnight in the 2000 block of Scarlet Oaks Drive in Irving. The man said he heard a pop at the back of the house and was met with heavy smoke and flames when he went to investigate. He uses a walker to get around, but was able to get out of the house unharmed. The man’s wife was at work at the time. Firefighters had to back off from the intense flames and try to protect a neighbor’s house. They called in extra manpower at the height of the fire. Investigators believe the blaze may have been started by a heat lamp used to keep a litter of kittens warm.
The family lived in the home for about 40 years.