Barley able to walk and visually impaired, Anna Maria told Action 4 news she never noticed the slight haze that took over her home in the early morning hours on Tuesday.
She said it was not until her daughter arrived that she knew something was wrong.
“Me and my husband were asleep….I just thought something stayed on the stove,” Anna Maria explained.
But it was not the stove—her water heater caught fire.
“Like it says there on the heater it could explode and then I could lose my home and my life.”
Lisa Gonzalez is Anna Maria’s daughter. She said 11 minutes after the initial call to 911 was made help arrived. In that 11 minutes, Lisa said, a lot could have happened.
Despite that—Lisa does not blame the fire department—she said they did what they could.
She is concerned that when 911 was called her mother was not instructed on what to do or to standby for help.
Instead, Lisa said the dispatcher gave her another number to call for assistance.
“They should have right away directed her call and connected her to the right people,” Lisa said.
“They should’ve connected her call right away.”
Action 4 News contacted the Starr County 911 system and after an hour search through call logs the supervisor told us they had no record that the call ever came in.
She said since the call was made from a cell phone it could have been picked up on another tower outside of the Valley.
She explained that their dispatchers have received calls as far north as Falfurrias and as far west as Laredo.
She said to make sure an emergency call is answered quickly—a land line is the best way to go.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKGBT