A fire claimed the life of an 82-year-old Moulton man and sent his wife to the hospital Tuesday night. The man was the 40th fire-related fatality this year.
Herman Cecil Anderton, who was bedridden, was inside his Mount Home at 10044 County Road 36 when his wife, Clezelle, noticed smoke.
Clezelle Anderton attempted to drag her husband to safety, but wasn't able to get him completely out of the house.
A volunteer firerfighter, who was first to arrive to the scene, removed Mr. Anderton from the house, but Mr. Anderton died a short time later at the hospital. Clezelle Anderton was hospitalized overnight for minor burns and smoke inhalation before being released.
The cause of the fire was accidental due to faulty wiring in an attic fan.