— The emergency dispatcher who took a Missouri man’s 911 call reporting a house fire early Thursday morning told the 84-year-old man to leave the burning home.>> Read more trending newsBut Kenneth Zerr refused to leave his beloved wife, Phyllis, in the flames and smoke.Officials with the New Melle Fire Protection District stated Thursday afternoon that they believed an appliance in the basement sparked the blaze, but the investigation remains ongoing, the TV station reported.According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Phyllis Zerr became trapped in a bathroom as the fire spread, and Kenneth Zerr soaked towels in water and stuffed them under the door in hopes it would buy firefighters enough time to save them both.First responders “found heavy smoke coming out of the roof of the home” and set about rescuing the couple from the back of the home, but “the floor began to collapse and conditions were worsening,” a news release stated."