BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — One person is dead following a fire that broke out at Edgewood Senior Estates in east Bakersfield on Christmas Eve. Neighbors in the area are still piecing together just what happened.
Neighbors who tried to help said it felt like a nightmare.
"It was raging out the window, out the roof, and then the windows started cracking and falling," said resident Kathy Means. "Oh, my gosh, it was terrible!"
Means lives just two homes away from where the fire broke out. In the past 17 years living here, she has shared conversations and connections with the couple from that house. On Saturday, she was on her way out to her son's Christmas Eve gathering when she realized something was wrong.
"And I hear 'Help!' and I ran out and it was my neighbor Steve battling this huge inferno, which got out of hand. His wife was on an oxygen tank," said Means.
Means and other neighbors jumped into action, grabbing their own water hoses and trying to help calm the fire. The flames, however, were too intense.
"And Steve, the owner of the home, was yelling his wife was still inside," said Means. "It was just so tragic."
Fire officials say crews got the call at 5:17 pm and when they arrived, they immediately went into search and rescue operations, since one person was still inside. Firefighters were able to get the fire under control around 5:30, but found one person dead inside. The other person was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
According to Andrew Freeborn, public information officer for Kern County Fire, it appears to have been accidental.
"This fire cause was most probably accidental in nature. There was nothing suspicious that could lead us to think that there was anything other than this being an accident," said Freeborn.
Fire officials don't have specifics on what caused the fire yet, but they did confirm that the house did not have a working smoke alarm.
"So, this is the second home in Kern County that had a fire that has resulted in a fatality in the last two weeks," said Freeborn.
It's a trend Kern County Fire doesn't want to see continue. By 23ABC's count, this is the fifth fire related death in Kern County this year, a reminder that every second counts.
"Christmas Even, you know? Happiness and tragedy across the street," said Kathy Means. "Life is so fragile. Just one moment… you don't know."
Means said she got home to her family gathering that evening with black from the smoke still on her face, but she felt grateful to be alive.
This is why fire officials like Freeborn stress the importance of "go bags," having an exit plan, and smoke alarms.
"So take the time before something like this happens. Make sure you have doorways that are easily accessible in the home. We don't want our exits closed. We want that early notification that there could be a fire. We want all the time that we can get to exit if there is a fire, and that is what the smoke alarms do for us," said Freeborn.
Means and other neighbors have put together a small memorial with flowers outside the home to honor the life lost.
"We wanted Steve to know that we love him and our hearts are with him, and we just want to unite," said Means.
Means noted on the fact that the fire did not spread to the nearby homes despite how close they are to one another, but says the pain of losing someone in their community still weighs heavy, and she hopes everyone holds their loved ones tighter tonight.
