Mansfield house fire kills 43-year-old man

MANSFIELD, Texas - It’s still not clear what started a fatal fire in Mansfield, in southeast Tarrant County.

Neighbors recorded cellphone video. It shows intense flames at the home near Debbie Lane and Main Street on Sunday morning.

Firefighters encountered thick smoke. They rescued 43-year-old Daniel Ecord but he later died at the hospital.

“They said the house next to me was on fire and I needed to get up and get out. And so I had my grandbabies here with me,” said Paula Smith, a neighbor. “It’s just… it’s really sad. All we can do is just pray for the family but it’s really sad.”

Firefighters have not been able to determine if there were working smoke detectors in the home.