Families Impacted By SW Oklahoma City Apartment Fire Sift Through Belongings

Residents returned to their damaged apartments on Sunday following a fire at the Cape Cod Condominiums on SW 89th Street and Sante Fe. The blaze on Saturday destroyed or damaged 10 units. All were deemed unlivable.

The fire victims saw the damage firsthand as they were allowed back inside to salvage what they could, while recalling the moments the fire started.

“It was tragic,” said Colton Smith, whose apartment sustained heavy smoke damage.

Smith says he was on the phone when the fire started.

“I heard some glass break, the whole staircase was already up in flames,” he said.

Smith’s neighbor, Trevor Kinner, was taking a nap.

“I woke up and could obviously smell the burning,” he said.

In a matter of minutes, fire officials said some smoking materials outside of the building sparked the fire and it spread quickly.

“By the time I had gotten out of my bed, I heard kids screaming for help,” recalls Kinner. “I opened my door I saw flames barreling down.”

That’s when he said he and his neighbors sprang into action.

“You know, when you hear a child scream, the first thing you want to do is get to him, so it was definitely scary,” he said.

Smith said he remembers seeing his neighbors jumped on the roof where the boy was screaming.

“They tried to break in a window,” he said. “I know my upstairs neighbor was holding on to him trying to keep him from falling off.”

The fire was too hot for the neighbors to go in, the flames surrounding the 4-year-old inside the apartment. However, firefighters arrived in time to save him.

“The kid looked fine, he wasn't crying or anything, a little dirty a little sooty,” said Smith.

On Sunday, the neighbors returned to grab whatever belongings they could salvage.

“So far, I’ve recovered photos, the important stuff, bed frames, child's toys, stuff like that,” Kinner said.

“It's all a little smoky a little a little dirty but otherwise it's pretty untouched,” added Smith. “I just have to clean it all up and start all over again.”

The fire was ruled accidental. Fire officials said the little boy spent the night in the hospital and is expected to be okay.

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