Officer treated for smoke inhalation after helping elderly neighbor escape house fire

The Amarillo Fire Department battled a two-alarm fire early Tuesday at a location that has had multiple fires over the past month. An occupant was helped out of the home by a neighbor, an Amarillo officer.

Amarillo crews responded to a structure fire at 401 S. Rusk on Tuesday morning just after 6 a.m. The first arriving unit found a single-story residence fully involved in fire, with flames getting close to the house next door.

"Firefighters pulled attack hoselines and laid one toward the fire and one between the houses to protect the exposure. The house had burned prior to this and was not structurally sound so the decision was made to go defensive," a news release states. "Fire crews set up the aerial ladder and extinguished the fire from the outside."

The house's occupant made it out safely and was checked out by Amarillo Medical Services personnel at the scene but refused to be taken to a hospital. An Amarillo Police Department officer assisted the next-door neighbor out of their home. The officer went to Northwest Texas Healthcare System's hospital and was treated for minor smoke inhalation.

The Fire Marshal's Office was called to the scene and is investigating the case of the fire.

This is the third time AFD has responded to a fire at this residence in the last month. The last two fires were ruled accidental due to the occupant using a make-shift wood burning stove.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo crews battle 2-alarm fire early Tuesday on South Rusk