OKC Resident Mourns The Loss Of Her Neighbor To A House Fire

One man died after his house caught fire in northwest Oklahoma City Sunday evening. The inferno damaged the house next door, but spared the homeowner’s life. 

Now, that homeowner–who wished not to be named–is left wondering how to move forward. 

"The siding all melted off and the window cracked from the heat," she said.  

Despite the damages, she said she feels lucky. 

"I just thank God that we were protected, that we were able to get out and that the fire didn't actually catch on my house," she said. "This can all be repaired but losing a life is...you know.” 

Sunday, she lost her neighbor. 

"I just pray for his family,” she said. “And I pray the investigators find out what happened."  

The Oklahoma City Fire Department said the fire broke out around 7:45 p.m. 

"Before we arrived, this fire was heavily involved,” Oklahoma City Fire Captain John Chenoweth said. “Fire was shooting from the roof."  

They discovered the male homeowner’s body inside the home, but his identity, along with a cause of the fire, have not been released yet. 

"We did find some chemicals and explosives in the house that caused us some concern," Chenoweth said, which prompted them to call in a bomb squad and a hazmat team. 

"After their investigation it was determined that none of the items were suspicious," Chenoweth said.  

According to Chenoweth, the investigation is still ongoing, but the victim was the only resident of the home. 

"We did have one exposure, a house to the west," he said. "There was some minor damage but we did save that house." 

And the owner of that house said she couldn't be more grateful. 

"They did an amazing job getting on top of it as quickly as possible and actually saving my house from going up," she said.