A 37-year-old Oakland man who saved his family on Christmas morning when he woke them up to a fire in their home died after he went back inside and lost consciousness searching for an engagement ring.
Family members told news station KRON that Steven Weatherford planned to propose to his girlfriend next week on New Year’s Eve.
The Oakland Fire Department responded to a report of a house fire in the 3500 block of Oak Knoll Boulevard around 6:15 a.m., according to authorities.
Weatherford was the first to notice the fire and woke up his father, brother and aunt.
He helped get everyone to safety, but went into the home to retrieve an engagement ring from a safe, his girlfriend Lashante Mayo told the news station.
“He was truly the best person you could ever be,” she said. “He loved his family, his friends and everybody so much. He died trying to get them out of the house. … He’s super funny, beautiful, the kindest soul you could meet.”
Authorities believe Weatherford likely became disoriented by the smoke when he lost consciousness.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
