OKC Church To Help Fire Victims In The Village

An early Sunday morning fire leaves a metro couple homeless. They escaped with the clothes on their backs.

“It's not the way to start a Sunday morning,” said Jerol Williams, a church friend of the couple.

All anyone could do is watch as firefighters attacked a fire inside a home in the 1600 block of Brighton Avenue in The Village.

“Just received a call this morning that they were in trouble,” Williams said.

Williams goes to church with the couple who lived in the home. The couple said they are still in shock over the loss.

The woman told News 9 it happened so fast. She said she was awake when she smelled smoke around 7 a.m. Then, she woke up her husband. Both of them ran out of the burning home just in time.

“They're lovely people and just got caught unaware and thank God they were able to get out without any injuries to themselves,” Williams said.

However, they lost their home, their cat Tea Cup and their in-home EBay business.

“We were kind of behind the eight ball from the get go,” said The Village Fire Department Deputy Chief T.J. Hamil.

The Village firefighters battled the fire for about half an hour before calling for help. They worked together with Nichols Hills and Oklahoma City firefighters to contain the fire. The flames were so intense, it forced the crew at one point to evacuate.

“Had a hard time getting access into the attic, they had decking on the whole underside so mainly it engulfed the whole attic,” Hamil said.

Once firefighters put it out, there was little left. The couple has no insurance but they do have the support from their friends and church family.

“We're hoping we can help them over this hump,” said Williams.

If you would like to help the couple, contact the River of Life Church at 6901 NW 150 Street in Oklahoma City.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.