Day care workers helped children escape after a neighboring business caught fire in Oklahoma City.It was an intense scene on Wednesday as firefighters battled flames at a hookah bar near Northwest 23rd Street and Geraldine Avenue. A day care full of children was just feet away.KOCO 5 was told the building was a total loss, but the good news is that all the children were able to escape thanks to the quick actions of the day care workers.”It’s an emergency, fire, everyone get out!” said Marci Meador, a day care worker.They had to act fast.”It was our nap time, and one of our teachers had seen the flames through the window,” Meador said.Day care workers had just minutes to round up all the children and get out of their building with flames roaring next door.”We started getting kids up, loading them up, and getting them out of the building as fast as we could,” Meador said.None of the children were above 5 years old. Meador said they were able to move them to a nearby parking lot.”Those teachers and caretakers, they did an excellent job and got all the kids out quickly and safely and got them away from a danger zone,” said Scott Douglas, Oklahoma City Fire Department. When firefighters got there, the hookah bar that caught fire had already partially collapsed. All they could do was try to contain the blaze.”There were 30, five and under children in that day care, and this building was about ten feet away from the burning structure,” Douglas said.KOCO 5 was told the tenant renting the space was the only one there before the fire started.”He left to run an errand, and check on his brother, and when he came back, he had smoke and flames out the building,” Douglas said.KOCO 5 does not know the official cause, but the fire department has one lead.”The only thing we’re looking at is, he had his phone plugged in on the wall, that was the only electricity he said he had going. Other than that it was normal business, normal things operating,” Douglas said.There were no injuries from the fire. No firefighters or children were hurt.The investigation is ongoing.
Day care workers helped children escape after a neighboring business caught fire in Oklahoma City.
It was an intense scene on Wednesday as firefighters battled flames at a hookah bar near Northwest 23rd Street and Geraldine Avenue. A day care full of children was just feet away.
KOCO 5 was told the building was a total loss, but the good news is that all the children were able to escape thanks to the quick actions of the day care workers.
“It’s an emergency, fire, everyone get out!” said Marci Meador, a day care worker.
They had to act fast.
“It was our nap time, and one of our teachers had seen the flames through the window,” Meador said.
Day care workers had just minutes to round up all the children and get out of their building with flames roaring next door.
“We started getting kids up, loading them up, and getting them out of the building as fast as we could,” Meador said.
None of the children were above 5 years old. Meador said they were able to move them to a nearby parking lot.
“Those teachers and caretakers, they did an excellent job and got all the kids out quickly and safely and got them away from a danger zone,” said Scott Douglas, Oklahoma City Fire Department.
When firefighters got there, the hookah bar that caught fire had already partially collapsed. All they could do was try to contain the blaze.
“There were 30, five and under children in that day care, and this building was about ten feet away from the burning structure,” Douglas said.
KOCO 5 was told the tenant renting the space was the only one there before the fire started.
“He left to run an errand, and check on his brother, and when he came back, he had smoke and flames out the building,” Douglas said.
KOCO 5 does not know the official cause, but the fire department has one lead.
“The only thing we’re looking at is, he had his phone plugged in on the wall, that was the only electricity he said he had going. Other than that it was normal business, normal things operating,” Douglas said.
There were no injuries from the fire. No firefighters or children were hurt.
The investigation is ongoing.
