McAllen woman escapes home fire
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An 84-year-old McAllen woman survived an overnight house fire, but her home is now severely damaged.
"I just ran out of the house scared," Hermila Balderas said.
A video shows the moments Balderas' home went up in flames in.
"I woke up coughing, I tried turning on the lights and I ran out without my shoes," Balderas said.
The McAllen Fire Department says the fire started around midnight Sunday on Quince Avenue. McAllen Fire Chief Juan Gloria says the home was severely damaged, and it can be considered a near total loss.
"Thank god nothing bad happened to me. The house can be fixed," Balderas said.
Balderas said she was asleep in the back bedroom when she heard a smoke alarm go off. She said she smelled the smoke and even though the roof was caving in, she was able to run out of the home unharmed.
"I came out so scared and my neighbors helped me because I live on my own. The girls helped me by putting shoes on me and a blanket. I am so grateful for them," Balderas said.
Balderas says it was her neighbor Ruth Sanchez who helped her get to safety across the street.
She plans to stay with her daughter in Austin, while her other children who live in the Rio Grande Valley work to rebuild her home.
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