Firefighters Rescue Man From Burning Building On OKC's SW Side

Oklahoma City firefighters pulled an unresponsive man from a house fire on the city's southwest side. 

Thursday, December 2nd 2021, 5:21 pm



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Oklahoma City firefighters pulled an unresponsive man from a house fire on the city's southwest side. 

The fire happened just before noon Thursday in the 3200 block of SW 48th Street near SW 44th Street and May Avenue.

The woman who rents the home said she had just woken up when the fire started. She ran out of the house and didn't even have time to put on shoes.

Neighbors told News 9 they helped get her to safety. Several called 911. The woman's brother was still asleep in another part of the house.

"They located an adult male who was unresponsive in what we believe is a back bedroom," said Oklahoma City Fire Department Battalion Chief Benny Fulkerson. "Getting inside as quickly as we did, just another minute or two could be the difference between life and death in this situation."

The man woke up and was able to talk to firefighters before he was taken to the hospital. Rescuers treated him at the scene for smoke inhalation, as well.

"But it was already very smoke filled inside, he had already had burn injuries on his arm and if the fire started in the front of the house like we believe then it had already grown considerably," said BC Fulkerson.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Fire officials said the home lost power last year after the fall ice storm. It was never reconnected.

"We were told that there was possibly bootlegging electricity from a power pole back behind the structure," Fulkerson said. "That is something that we see too often and it's extremely dangerous."

Firefighters said the home didn't have a smoke alarm.

"Working smoke alarms can make a huge difference in situations like this. It may have given this individual time to be alerted to the fire to get out as opposed to being rescued," Fulkerson said.

The woman who lived at the home told fire a dog was inside the home as well. Sadly, the dog hasn't been found.

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