A man who woke up his family amidst a house fire that broke out early Christmas morning was able to get them to safety, but died in the blaze himself.
The man was identified as Steven Weatherford by his aunt, Eunice Smith, who was standing outside the home Wednesday afternoon.
Smith said that Weatherford and his brother woke up early to cook on Christmas day when they noticed the fire around 6 a.m. Weatherford alerted his elderly father and aunt and brought them to safety outside, along with his brother. Weatherford apparently went back inside the house, perhaps because he was disoriented or because he was looking for something, Smith said.
“He was a good man,” Smith said. “He passed but he saved his family members.”
She said that Weatherford, who lives in Antioch, was planning on proposing to his girlfriend on New Year’s. It’s unclear if the ring was still in the house.
“This was devastating on so many different levels,” Smith said.
Around 20 firefighters responded, said Oakland Fire spokesperson Michael Hunt.
Firefighters searching the house found Weatherford unconscious inside. He was likely overcome by the smoke and died around 6:30 a.m., Hunt said.
No one else was found inside the home.
The cause of the fire appears to be accidental, officials said. It’s unknown if smoke detectors were functioning or present.
Smith said that beyond losing Weatherford, the family has also lost a cherished home that had been in the family for five decades.
“They lost everything,” she said.
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Source: www.mercurynews.com