Early morning reports of smoke in a northeastern Oklahoma City neighborhood called emergency services into action on May 18, escalating quickly into a full-blown house fire. The Oklahoma City Fire Department arrived at the scene near E Memorial Rd & N Anderson around 3:23 a.m. to confront a large residence engulfed in flames, primarily in the attic area. According to the Oklahoma City Fire Department's Facebook post, fire crews could see the blaze from over half a mile away, prompting an immediate escalation of their response.
Firefighters entered the home to fight the fire and search for anyone inside as flames spread through the attic. They quickly rescued two dogs, who were treated by EMSA and taken to a local vet. No people were found inside, and firefighters later confirmed with the homeowners—who weren’t there—that the house was empty during the fire, as reported by the Oklahoma City Fire Department.
While firefighters were fighting the blaze, part of the home's brick and rock front collapsed, forcing them to pull back from the inside. They switched to a defensive approach to keep the fire from spreading. The cause is still under investigation, but the fire Oklahoma City Fire Department believes a lightning strike during recent storms may have started the fire in the attic hours before it was seen.
