Woman, 85, dies in house fire

An 85-year-old woman died in a house fire Friday in southwest Oklahoma City after her husband tried to save her.

Friday, December 28th 2007, 3:16 pm

By: News 9

NEWS 9

Lula Tidmore was killed in a house fire early this morning. Her husband, 90, tried to save her, but was unable to lift her out of the house.

Lula and her husband were sleeping in their home at 3500 S. South Dumas Avenue when their home caught fire. The Oklahoma City Fire Department said they received the call at about 12:30 a.m. this morning and arrived within three minutes of the call--but it was already too late.

Lula's daughter-in-law spoke with NEWS 9 off-camera and said Lula's husband was in a great deal of remore and guilt.

The husband was awoken by their smoke detector and tried to pick up Lula and carry her outside the house. Lula had some mobility problems and was in a wheelchair. He couldn't make it outside carrying Lula. He made it outside alone and then turned around to go back in, but was unable to get passed the flames.

George Paulley and some neighbors saw the fire and tried to rescue help.

"I went down there, looking in the window...with my flashlight, so we could see if we could see her...and we couldn't see her at all," said Paulley, a neighbor. "One of them tried to broke down the side door open, because you couldn't get in the front door. As soon as they kicked the side door open, that's when the flames came out, there was just nothing you could do."