A 71-year-old man died and two people were injured after a mobile trailer home caught fire in the Mathis area on the morning of Oct. 18, according to San Patricio County Sheriff Oscar Rivera.
A preliminary investigation by a sheriff's office investigator and a fire marshal showed that the fire may have started in the bedroom, where a space heater was plugged into an outlet with electrical issues, a social media post by Rivera said.
Sheriff's deputies and the Mathis Fire Department responded to the scene after a dispatcher received a call from a victim inside the burning home who could not get out.
The 71-year-old man who died used a wheelchair. His brother, who tried to help, suffered serious burns and was transported to a San Antonio burn center
by HALO-Flight.
A woman inside the home also suffered from burns and was transported to an area hospital by ambulance.
The sheriff's office is urging residents to inspect heating devices and correct electrical issues before cold weather starts to set in.
Felicity Guajardo covers breaking news and public safety. Contact her at felicity.guajardo@caller.com.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Man dies in house fire possibly caused by space heater near Mathis
