Couple escapes accidental house fire in SW OKC that leaves five cats dead early Friday

An overnight fire Friday in southwest Oklahoma City sent two residents to the hospital and left one family of cats dead.

Shortly before 3:30 a.m., firefighters rushed to the scene in the 1300 block of SW 56, where flames and smoke had enveloped the back of a house.

Captain Scott Douglas with the Oklahoma City Fire Department said the cause of the fire was accidental.

"It originated around the couch, and it was on the added-on part of the house in the back of the home," Douglas said. "It looked like a lamp tipped over right next to the couch, and all of our burn patterns brought us back to that point."

USA TODAY: 4 fire safety products you should always have in the house

As the crew battled and extinguished the fire, they also tended to two people who had evacuated the house. The couple, one adult male and one female, were treated for smoke inhalation, and Douglas said both were alert and conscious as they were being taken to a local hospital.

The team pulled the bodies of five cats, owned by the residents, from the damaged home. Estimated damage to the house totaled about $60,000.

"They'll have to get some major work done before they move back in," Douglas said. "Even before they get their electric (utility) turned back on, they'll need to have an electrician come and evaluate everything. It'll need some work to get back going."

More: OKC firefighters respond to stranded motorists, collapsed building during flash flooding

The fire blazed around the same time as strong winds and thunderstorms were passing through the Oklahoma City metro, causing power outages from lightning strikes and tree damage. But Douglas said severe storms did not hinder the fire department's responsiveness.

"We also responded to six downed power lines, and we also had two lightning strikes to other homes at about that same time," Douglas said. "Luckily, there were no fires on those. Now, the fire (on SW 56) was right in the middle of the storm, but we carried on as usual, regardless of the weather situation."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC house fire kills 5 cats as two residents escape