A family Christmas celebration turned tragic after a house fire killed one family member.
The fire began at around 6:00 a.m. on Christmas morning at a family home in Oakland, California, KTVU-TV reported.
Steven Weatherford Jr., 37, sprang into action — reportedly saving his father, aunt, and brother, who had all gathered at the house to celebrate the holiday.
Jerry Weatherford, Steven’s younger brother, recalled that he woke up to smoke coming from under the TV and moments later an entire wall was on fire, per The New York Times.
While the younger Weatherford sounded the alarm as he ran out of the house, his older brother raced upstairs to wake up their other family members.
“I kept screaming for my brother to come out, and he just didn’t come out,” Jerry Weatherford said. “He was a hero. He saved their lives.”
The family celebrated Christmas together every year and had been up until 3:00 a.m. enjoying their time together.
“This is a yearly celebration. And when I say yearly, I mean going on for 40, 50 years,” explained Eunice Smith, Weatherford’s aunt, KTVU reported. “It’s not one of those things where it’s every other year.”
An Oakland hero. Prayers for the family and friends of Steven Weatherford https://t.co/Seepd1ymsj
— Charlotte Buchen Khadra (@netvids) December 31, 2024
After saving his family members, Weatherford remained in the home, searching for an engagement ring he had bought for his girlfriend, LaShante Mayo.
The Oakland Fire Department responded to the incident at 6:15 a.m. and upon entering the residence came across the unconscious body of Weatherford, who was nicknamed “gummy bear” for his affectionate personality.
Fire officials believe that Weatherford inhaled too much smoke, leading to his death.
Weatherford had only recently bought the engagement ring and was planning to propose on New Year’s Eve.
Mayo described her boyfriend as “truly the best person you could ever meet.”
“He loved his family, his friends, everybody so much. He died trying to get them out of the house,” an emotional Mayo said shortly after the fire.
It wasn’t until after the Christmas Day tragedy that Mayo even learned of the impending proposal.
“He was going to propose, yeah,” Mayo said. “I didn’t know. They told me this morning. …I had given up on love until I had met him.”
Residents of the neighborhood where the fire took place have created a GoFundMe page “to help cover the costs of immediate financial needs and Steve Jr’s memorial service.”
According to the account page, Weatherford’s father, Steven Weatherford Sr., “already endured immense heartbreak in the recent past when his wife passed away a few years ago.”
“All of the neighbor’s know the Weatherfords to be a lovely, kind and warm family. They have lived in the neighborhood for over 40 years and Steve Jr. grew up on the block.”
“No one should have to bear the weight of such sorrow alone, especially during the holidays.”
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