JUNCTION CITY, Ore. — An elderly man died in a fire in Junction City, and a body believed to be that of his wife was found among the ashes.
The Register-Guard reports the fire broke out late Monday on Prairie Road.
Junction City fire spokeswoman Crystal Riley says passers-by pulled the man out of the house before firefighters arrived, but he died Tuesday at a Springfield hospital.
Firefighters asked neighbors to help search for the man’s wife, saying she suffers from dementia and mental illness, and might have wandered away out of fear.
Hours later, police said a body had been found in the burned house.
The fire is being investigated by Junction City police and the state fire marshal’s office.