Oklahoma City family loses decades of memories in house fire

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KFOR) — An Oklahoma City family was left to pick up the pieces after their house caught fire Saturday.

Oklahoma City Fire Department responded to a reported house fire near Northwest 23rd Street and Portland Avenue. One woman was barely able to escape.

Melanie Wynn said she woke up to find her house in flames.

"I don't know what woke me up, I couldn't tell you," said Wynn.

Wynn said she lived in the home with three other family members, one being her son, and was absolutely devasted to see it go up in flames.

"I looked in my bedroom, and it's coming from my doorframe, I kicked it open and the flames came out," explained Wynn.

Wynn now has third-degree burns on 10% of her face but said she is grateful to live another day.

"I'm still alive, you know god's good every day," said Wynn.

She said everything happened so quickly, she ran to the nearest gas station for help.

While Wynn made it out safely, her belongings didn't.

"Everything I had, my pictures of my kids, all of it's gone," she said.

And the house that's been in her family for decades, is no longer.

Clyde Burgess said his mother moved into the home 45 years ago.

"They planted the trees and everything," said Burgess. "There ain't nothing left in there, but memories that's about it."

The fire didn't just take away the family's home, it took away something that can never be brought back. For Burgess, that means his mother's ashes.

"It hit hard, after I just lost her not too long ago and her ashes was in the house," said Burgess.

Wynn said she hopes this serves as a powerful reminder for others to be aware and stay safe.

"Everybody needs to be very careful, fires are devastating, and they're horrible and they take any victim," added Wynn.

OKCFD has not determined what caused the fire and said the investigation is still ongoing.

Wynn and Burgess have set up a GoFundMe to raise money to replace their belongings as they work to rebuild.