Neighbors and Salisbury fire officials say there was nothing they could do to save an elderly couple from a fire that killed a husband and wife around midday Thursday.

The Rev. Robert Turner and his wife, Wanda, died in the fire that destroyed their home at the corner of North Church and 12th streets. Friends said the couple had been married 65 years.

Robert Turner, 84, was retired as pastor at First Church of the Nazarene, which he opened in 1969. His wife was 82, according to friends.

Salisbury firefighters responded to a call shortly before noon and found the left side of the house fully involved in flames when they arrived. A spokeswoman for the fire department said crews tried battling the blaze but were forced to retreat when the structure of the house weakened.

A neighbor, Breanna Cherry, told the Observer's news partner NewsChannel 36 that she tried to save the Turners.

"I ran over there and tried to open the door," Cherry told WCNC. "Smoke was just going everywhere, so I called 911."

Salisbury firefighters got help from the Spencer, Ellis, Faith and Granite Quarry fire departments, and from several police and rescue squads. Investigators said an overloaded electrical outlet was responsible for the blaze.

While he was retired, Robert Turner continued to officiate at church services.

The timing of the deaths, a few days before Christmas, made it even more difficult, friends said.

Ruth Koontz, a member at First Church of the Nazarene, said on the church's Facebook page that the Turners were "two more loved ones that I will grieve for at Christmas."

"It's so hard to be joyous when you've lost people that have meant so much to your life," she said.