One man died and a woman remains hospitalized after they were pulled out of a burning house by firefighters Tuesday in Escondido.
The fire was reported by a neighbor at around 5 p.m. along W. 11th Avenue near S. Orange Street according to the Escondido Police Department.
The victims -- investigators describe them as a married couple in their 70s -- were crying for help from inside the home as firefighters arrived on scene, according to a neighbor.
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"It was a woman’s voice clear as day. I didn’t hear anything other than 'Please help me,' said neighbor Joaben Linares, who was the first to call 911.
Lluvia Espinoza and her mother were selling ice cream around the corner. The neighborhood is a regular stop. Espinoza, 14, was the second to dial 911.
“It’s a fire. I was like, 'We have to call,'" she said.
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Espinoza said her family and couple are parishioners at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
"They attend a lot. They’re really religious and they’ve helped our church," she said.
Firefighters rushed the home in as flames were pouring out of the windows and carried the couple out of the home.
They were rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to EPD. The husband died there and his wife is still receiving treatment as of Tuesday night.
The Escondido Fire Department fought the blaze alongside the Rancho Santa Fe and San Marcos fire departments.
Investigators haven't found the cause of the fire, EFD spokesperson Jeff Murdock said.
Orange St. was closed between 9th and 13th avenues.
This story will be updated as new information becomes available.
