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.
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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.
