Neighbor Witnesses Rescue Efforts In Injury Tulsa House Fire

Thick white smoke poured out of a burning west Tulsa home as firefighters fought to save three children and two adults who were inside.

The victims are all in the hospital in critical condition.

The home in the 4700 block of 33rd West Avenue was gutted by fire. Flames shot out of the windows of the home as neighbors tried to help.

Even from high overhead as Osage SkyNews 6 flew over the burning home, it was clear the situation was desperate. Firefighters were at once trying to control the fire, search for victims - and save the ones they had already rescued.

Again and again, five times, firefighters pulled a seemingly lifeless person out of the house.

It was a neighbor who first noticed the fire, who called 911, who tried to help.

"I believe they got trapped, couldn't get out, maybe it was the fire, the smoke," said neighbor Diane Brown.

2/2/2015 Related Story: Tulsa Firefighters Pull 2 Adults, 3 Children From Burning House

Diane Brown has a dog out back, and the barking drew her attention to the neighbor's house. She said she ran around the house, screaming to get their attention, but she never got a response and the heat pushed her back.

The house is only 900 square feet, with only a few rooms, but it was sealed up tight and full of smoke until a window on Brown's side broke and the fire poured out.

"One of her windows was broken, some glass out, smoke and everything was coming out that window, and it built so quickly and moved from there, smoke, fire, flames," she said.

After firefighters arrived, Brown watched the rescue, but said it was difficult to see the children especially, so badly hurt.

Firefighters attempted to revive them all in the wet grass in the front yard - until EMSA arrived and rushed them to the hospital.

There were more than 40 firefighters at the scene, so there was nothing Brown could do, but worry and wonder how the fire could move so quickly to overwhelm everyone at once.

"Before you know it, it spread so fast, the smoke, the fire," Diane Brown said.