A woman died after a house fire broke out in southwest Oklahoma City early Thursday morning, despite efforts from nearby residents to save her.
“It was very, very scary,” said Shatara Thomas, who witnessed the scene.
Around 7:18 a.m., Thomas stepped outside near Southwest 74th Street and Youngs Boulevard when she smelled smoke coming from a nearby home.
“I mean, I knocked on the door, I don’t know what else to do,” she said in a video taken at the scene.
While someone else called 911, Thomas sprang into action. She banged on the door and repeatedly rang the Ring doorbell.
“Somebody answered it, but no one said anything. I kept ringing it and was beating on the door. Then the garage suddenly burst into flames,” she said. “The garage just lifted up by itself, and that’s when the flames came out. Did someone open it, or did the fire cause it to lift on its own?”
Fire crews arrived quickly to extinguish the blaze and began searching the home.
“During the search we did locate one female victim,” said Capt. John Chenoweth with the Oklahoma City Fire Department.
“She did pass at the hospital,” confirmed Sgt. John Skuta with the Oklahoma City Police Department.
As investigators work to determine what caused the fire, Thomas says she’s thankful she stopped to try and help.
“Something told me to stop, and I did. I’m glad I did,” she said.
Authorities have not yet released the woman’s name, as they are still notifying her family.
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Katie is a senior who has been on staff for three years. Her favorite type of stories to write is reviews and features. Katie’s favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.
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