MCALLEN – A fatal fire broke out in McAllen early Tuesday morning, claiming the life of one woman.

Fire officials believe the proximity of the homes is what caused three homes to be destroyed and two others to be damaged.

KRGV’s Frank McCaffrey reached out to McAllen Fire Chief Rafael Balderas who explains the homes that were destroyed are only seven feet apart – the two homes with smoke damage were ten feet apart.

"The closer they are, the more it's going to spread – especially on windy days. Fortunately, it wasn't that windy today and yet it still spread,” says Balderas.

He explains because the homes are older, they are grandfathered into the city of McAllen’s code compliance.

Watch the video above for the full story.