(Redwood) — An elderly woman, who suffered burns in a house fire over a week ago, has died. Guadalupe County Fire Marshal Patrick Pinder says 77-year old Paula Cordero died Friday, Aug. 4 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. On July 29, Cordero and a 53-year old man suffered burns in a house fire at their home in the 1900 block of Poplar Street in the San Marcos area. Both tried to escape the structure fire, but were critically injured by the flames. Pinder says while Cordero died six days after the fire, the male victim, who’s name has not bee released, remains in the intensive care unit at BAMC.
Pinder says the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, but he says as of this time, the fire marshal’s office has not been able to rule out an electrical malfunction as a contributing factor to the fire.
There appeared to be no working smoke alarms inside the home. Pinder says smoke detectors may have made a big difference in the outcome of this case, and he says they recommend all homes have working smoke detectors — no matter what type of home that it is. He says that can be the “difference between life and death in a fire emergency.”
In addition to the injuries, Pinder says the fire caused extensive damage to the home and also damaged vehicles that were parked in the driveway.
The fire was reported on Saturday, July 29, with several fire departments responding to the scene. The list of departments includes the York Creek Volunteer Fire Department, San Marcos Fire Department, Martindale Fire Department, Guadalupe County Fire Rescue, San Marcos South Hays EMS, Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Guadalupe County Fire Marshal’s Office.