OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - It was a busy Wednesday morning for Oklahoma City fire crews who rushed to two homes on fire, including one on Southeast 49th Street.
"Thankfully, they came just when they did and we woke up on time,” said Diego Carrillo. “Or it could have been a lot worse."
Around 4 a.m., Carrillo’s grandfather woke him up and told him that the house next door was burning.
"I looked outside, I saw a big ball of light,” said Carrillo. “I could feel the heat through the window, and at that point, I knew it was getting too close to the house."
By the time crews got there, the vacant home was engulfed in flames.
"It's completely burnt, basically to the ground,” said OKCFD Battalion Chief Mike Paschal. “I believe there's probably homeless people in and out of it every now and then. We've been here several times in the past."
Carrillo said his great-grandfather used to live there.
“I did grow up in it for a couple of years as well, visiting, uh, in and out with family members, parties and other holiday events,” said Carrillo.
Meanwhile, a few hours later crews rushed to another house near Northwest 10th Street and Portland Avenue.
“This was a case where they were using electricity incorrectly. They had bootlegged an extension cord to the power line,” said OKCFD Battalion Chief David Meyer.
The woman inside made it out, but fire crews said the house is likely a total loss. The woman’s pet is also missing.
The fire department is reminding Oklahomans to be smart, as it's only going to get colder.
“We get it. People are just trying to stay warm,” said Meyer. “Be safe, use appropriate heating sources, bundle up, check on your loved ones, make sure that they've got everything they need so that they don't have to resort to something else to try and stay warm."
