Husband tried to pull wife from burning home before her death, neighbors say

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AZFamily/Gray News) - The neighbors of an elderly Arizona couple say the husband tried to pull his wife out of their burning home but was, sadly, unable to save her. Her body was later found inside the house.

Crews with the Glendale Fire Department responded around 1 a.m. Sunday to a fire at an elderly couple’s home. Officials say the husband was outside when crews arrived, and his wife was found inside. She was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The victim’s name has not been released.

Don McDowell, who lives across the street, says he knows the couple. He described them as being in their late 70s.

“He was pretty mobile. The lady was on a walker, and she was not in good physical condition at all,” McDowell said.

He says the husband tried to pull his wife out of the burning home but was unable to do so.

Firefighters battled the flames for hours before extinguishing the fire. By about 7 a.m., plywood covered damaged areas of the home, which was left caked in soot.

McDowell says he was surprised by the level of the response.

“So, I come wandering out here in my shorts, like holy cow,” he said. “Honestly, I didn’t know Glendale had that many fire trucks.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but a fire mitigation team at the scene indicated it may have started near the center of the home and appeared to be electrical.

Neighbors also pointed to the backyard, where wiring and solar panels can be seen. McDowell says the husband was known for installing do-it-yourself solar panels, and neighbors suspect that may be related.

“He was putting on solar panels on the back of his house, and that’s kind of what the school of thought was that something went awry right there,” McDowell said.

Glendale Police said more information is expected Monday as the investigation continues.