It was a passerby who noticed the smoke coming out of the house on Cedar between Fifth and Sixth Streets around 8 am Tuesday and made the emergency call. The two occupants had gone to work.
Luther’s volunteer Fire Department went on scene with mutual aid from nearby fire departments to battle the flames that began inside the two-story structure. The house was built in 1950, according to county records. Nearby homes and structures were spared.
Luther Fire Chief John Brown said, although it’s preliminary, the cause of the fire could have been from a lightning strike or the hot water heater. The investigation is beginning.
The cold rain and later, the sleet, did not help to extinguish the flames inside the structure that burned hot for a couple of hours while firefighters pulled water from a nearby fire hydrant. Mutual aid was given by the volunteer Hickory Hills Fire Department, and Oklahoma City Fire Department who brought a ladder truck.
The house fire was near the elementary and middles schools. Students were kept inside while the smoke was active.
Already, some community efforts are underway to help the family as they deal with the loss.
