House fire in Mesquite claims life of husband, father

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With gloves, boots, and plenty of helping hands, Greg Graham worked alongside friends and family Saturday to dig through the charred remains of his childhood home.

“I woke up to the sound of the smoke alarm,” said Greg Graham.

Around 2 a.m., Graham said he was jolted awake.

He remembers smoke billowing from the kitchen into the living room and filling the hall as his mom, sister, and dad rushed for the door.

“My dad’s just yelling get out, get out, get out, and we start going, and I don’t know where he went. He got lost in there. I just hear him yell, I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. And then I didn’t see him again,” he said.

Troy Graham, 57, never made it out, dying in the blaze that consumed the home his parents gifted to him in just 10 minutes.

One of the family’s cats and eight kittens were trapped inside.

“It’s devastating. I’ve lost everything, and my dad was my best friend. And now, I have nothing,” said Graham.

As loved ones search for belongings, Graham’s remembering his dad as a loving man.

Troy worked for TXDOT and spent more than 15 years working on the State Fair of Texas’s seasonal guest services team.

“He loved going to NASCAR. He loved hunting. He usually loved being with friends and family,” he said.

He also coached Greg’s little league baseball team.

The father and son recently celebrated as the Rangers clenched their inaugural World Series win. It’s a moment that turns into a cherished memory for Graham as he and his mom and sister figure out where to go from here.

“At least keep us in your thoughts and prayers,” he said.