Family's anguish as they're forced to watch their home burn to the ground after '911 hung up on them'



A Texas couple claims they were forced to watch helpless as their home burned down because emergency responders ignored their pleas for help.



John and Lori Helsley said they called 911 around 8 p.m. on Friday night after a fire started in their home, but it took roughly 30 minutes for firefighters to respond.



To add insult to injury, the Mansfield Fire Department is only two miles from their home, where a fire hydrant is set up in the front yard.



Scroll down for video



The Helsleys claim 911 dispatchers didn't send a fire truck to their home quick enough and even hung up on their son

Lori Helsley said firemen took 30 minutes to arrive even though the department was just two miles away

'Took them about half an hour to get here,' Lori told CBS DFW . 'Just had to watch our house burn down.'

Lori said that after calling the dispatcher once and no one coming, they tried again.

'Then one of my sons called 911 again saying where are you? Where are you?' she said. 'They ended up hanging up on him because he was so upset.'

John added: 'Whether they're talking to somebody upset, they shouldn't hang up on somebody.'

In a statement to reporters, the city defended the department's response time.

Friends, family, and neighbors are helping the family salvage what they can from the remains of their home

'Mansfield received a request from Johnson County Friday evening to provide mutual aid to a house fire not in Mansfield’s jurisdiction,' the statement read. 'The Mansfield Fire Rescue was the first on the scene and provided four pieces of equipment to fight the fire. The department personnel and equipment were on the scene for six hours.'

The Hesleys said other volunteer departments also arrived on the scene to help.

'You just got the feeling, with the pace, that they had written off the house,' Lori said. 'That's our perspective. We're watching our house burn, and we didn't feel the urgency.'

The family said firefighters took their time fighting the blaze, as if they'd already given up on the house

A home video taken of the fire shows intense flames consuming the home.



However no one was hurt, and neighbors, friends, relatives and co-workers later helped salvage what could be saved.



'We've had wonderful neighbors and friends,' Lori said.



The Helsleys plan to file a complain against the city.

