NE OKC House Fire Leaves One Dead

A house fire in Northeast Oklahoma City leaves a
wheelchair bound man dead. It happened on Northeast 20th and Bath Avenue around
6:30 Tuesday night. Police say the victim is 84-year-old Lloyd Brunson.

Fire crews say they had a tough time trying to save the
victim. The home had security bars on the front door and some windows. Those
bars are designed to protect people. But in this case, fire officials say those
bars could have meant the difference between life and death.

 "Sad situation," said Leonard Roberson.

Around 6:30 Tuesday night, Leonard Roberson saw flames
coming from a neighbor's house and called 911.

"I tried to go in but the people around here
wouldn't let me go in the house," said Roberson.

"We arrived on the scene," said Battalion
Chief Kirk Wright. "Heavy fire from the front of the structure. Residents,
neighbors were reporting that there was someone in the house."

Fire crews began a rescue mission to try to save an
84-year-old man who was bound to a wheelchair. But Battalion Chief Kirk Wright
says security bars on the home's front door and some windows delayed the
rescue.

"We can get through them, it's just time
consuming," said Wright.

Finally, fire fighters broke through a window to get to
Lloyd Brunson, but it was too late.

"A crew went in, found the victim, removed the
victim from the house but he had already deceased," said Wright.

Now fire officials have this advice to help others plan
for an emergency.

"Just make sure you have an exit plan," said
Wright. "That you know how you can get out of your house as quickly as
possible, if you need to operate any devices that you have."

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

MARISA MENDELSON
MLMENDELSON@OKCFOX.COM

Posted: Tuesday, December 18 2012, 10:44 PM CST