A devastating fire on Caillet Street in Dallas’s Elm Thicket-Northpark neighborhood early Monday claimed the life of one man and left the family home that had stood for three generations in ruins.
The Fire
Dallas Fire-Rescue crews responded to the blaze shortly after 10 p.m. on Caillet Street, where six people were inside the house. The fire began in the back room, and the crew pulled a man and a woman from the burning structure. The woman is expected to be okay, but the man did not survive.
Survivors Speak
Fire survivor Wesley Taylor recounted the escape: “We got out through the front and called the fire department right away,” Taylor said. “Two more people I was helping, who was homeless, they was in the back room. They climbed out the window.”
Taylor, who was one of the man’s best friends, added that the cause of the fire remains under investigation. He believes it started when “a cigarette butt hit some paper in there by the closet and caught some clothes on fire in the closet.”
A House of Memories
The house had been in the Taylor family for three generations. “It’s my grandmother’s house,” Taylor said. His brother Kimothy Taylor shared that the home held many special memories: “Grandma’s house,” Kimothy Taylor said. “The cooking, the holidays, it was here. Right here.”
Kimothy expressed the emotional toll: “It’s tragic,” Kimothy Taylor said. “It’s like our history has been almost taken away from us, other than owning the property. A lot of tears will be shed because of that, because there are a lot of memories here.”
Community Response
The American Red Cross is assisting the victims with shelter and other needs. Dallas Fire-Rescue and local authorities continue to investigate the cause of the blaze.
Key Takeaways
- One man died in a house fire on Caillet Street.
- The home, a three-generation Taylor family property, was destroyed.
- Survivors, including Wesley Taylor, received aid from the American Red Cross.
The holiday season will feel different for the Taylor family, as the charred remains of their grandmother’s house stand as a stark reminder of what was lost.
