Christmas morning fire: East Bay man got his family to safety. But he died before he could make it out himself

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 fire broke out around 6 a.m. in the Oak Knoll neighborhood, and around 20 firefighters responded, said Oakland Fire spokesperson Michael Hunt. People on the scene told firefighters that the 37-year-old man, who officials presume to be the father, was able to get four family members out of the house. But he didn’t come out with them.

Firefighters searching the house found the man 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.