Teen, neighbor pull elderly woman out of burning Arlington home

A 19-year-old driving by and a neighbor across the street pulled an elderly woman out of a burning Arlington home on Tuesday.

Ivan Salinas saw the smoke from a few streets away on Tuesday afternoon, while neighbor Jorge Prado came from across the street. Both men were told by the woman who collapsed outside that her mom was still inside the burning home on Spring Garden Drive in Arlington.

Both men rushed inside while Salinas was also on the phone with 911.

"It was all black it was very smoky in the house it hurt our lungs,” Salinas said.

Prado said he was calling for the woman and she was screaming for help.

"She was on the floor when I went in so I just pulled her out by her arms,” Prado said.

That woman, in her 70's, and her daughter, in her 50's, were both renters in the home and were taken to Parkland Hospital. Both had 3rd degree burns and suffered from smoke inhalation.

When Arlington firefighters pulled up, flames could be seen coming out of the roof. Investigators said the fire started in a back bedroom, but it's not clear yet how it started.

Salinas says after they saved the woman he was upset at what he saw from onlookers.

"There were more people on their cell phones rather than calling 911 and rather than helping,” Salinas said.

Prado said they had to save the elderly woman, no matter the risk of danger.

"I'm glad I could help and pull her out and basically save her life. I mean that's a good thing, I feel pretty good,” Prado said.