MUSKOGEE, Okla. —
Kypton Greenwood’s bedroom was turned from a bright, happy place to a pile of damp, ashy mush Tuesday by a fire that left his family homeless.
His toys — what remains of them — are melted mostly beyond recognition. His bed is an almost unrecognizable pile of charred wood and box springs.
But things could have been much worse, the 3-year-old’s parents say, if he hadn’t braved flames, smoke and fear to alert them their house was burning down.
“I woke up and he was tugging on my arm, saying ‘Mommy, my bed’s on fire,” Kypton’s stepmother Kendel Ames said. “As soon as I opened my eyes and took a breath, I was just filled with smoke. I was in shock.
“He’s a hero, pretty much.”
Ames said she looked down the hallway to Kypton’s room and could see the foot of his bed engulfed in flames. The fire, which began just before 1:30 a.m., had begun in an adjacent bathroom and had spread to Kypton’s room through the hall.
“I don’t know if he walked through the fire or crawled past it or what,” Ames said. “But I really don’t think we would have made it if he hadn’t.”
Ames said she and her boyfriend, BJ Greenwood, have lived in the house at 720 S. 30th St. for about 18 months. The family searched through what was left of the house Tuesday morning, looking for anything salvageable. Drywall, weighted down with water, had begun cracking and falling overnight. Most things not burned to a crisp were water damaged — firefighters battled the blaze for more than two hours before it was fully out.
“Funny thing is, I had my phone charging on the headboard of my bed while I slept,” Ames said. “The dresser next to the bed is just completely burned and destroyed, but my phone was fine.”
Greenwood said the Red Cross had put them up in a hotel and given them enough money on a debit card to buy some clothes. Faced with the prospect of starting over, Greenwood was resilient.
“We’ll be back on our feet soon,” Greenwood said. “It shouldn’t take long.”
Kypton, for his part, seemed to be taking it all in stride. Sitting on the patio outside the house, he said he saw his house on fire and “woke my mommy up.”
Then, like any normal 3-year-old, stood up and announced: “Let me go, I want to go run over there and spit.”
Community News Network
Related Photos
-
Kypton Greenwood, and his stepmother, Kendel Ames, sit outside their house at 720 S. 30th St. Tuesday. The interior of the house was destroyed by a fire Tuesday morning, and Kypton’s parents have called him a hero after he alerted them to the blaze. Muskogee, Okla., Phoenix
-
What’s left of Kypton Greenwood’s toys sit near ash and debris after a house fire destroyed the interior of his family’s house at 720 S. 30th St. on Tuesday. Muskogee, Okla., Phoenix
Discussion
3-year-old saves family from blaze
- Community News Network
-
-
Kebabs: Health kick on a stick
Grilling is a simple way to feed your family well this summer. Start with a lean meat and a healthful marinade and then allow the grill to strip away additional fat for a heart-healthy and waist-friendly final result. Plus, grilling caramelizes the natural sugars in foods, which adds flavor without additional calories and fat.
-
Boy Scouts: Yes to gay youths, no to adults
The Boy Scouts of America on Thursday ended its ban on openly gay youths but maintained a prohibition on gay adult leaders, a decision framed as a compromise but one that could lead to litigation and thousands of defections from one of America's largest youth organizations.
-
Expert: Schools need shelters
Ninety-four percent of Oklahoma schools do not have tornado shelters, according to Gov. Mary Fallin, even though at least one weather expert says they should be standard. With two Moore schools destroyed in Monday’s EF-5 tornado — and ...
-
Twitter introduces website security tool after AP account hacked
Twitter is adding a new security tool to its website, making it harder for outsiders to gain access to accounts, a month after a false posting triggered a stock-market decline.
-
Siblings withstand storm in fridge
Brother and sister co-owners of a Chinese takeout restaurant huddled inside a refrigerator to survive Monday’s deadly tornado that claimed 24 lives.
-
Mom delivered baby as tornado struck
Shayla Taylor was so far along in labor that her nurses at Moore Medical Center decided not to move her when Monday's tornado hit. They waited out the storm in an operating room, where the wall disappeared as the tornado hit the building.
-
TIMELAPSE: Take a tour through the damage in Moore
Take a driving tour of the damage in Moore caused by Monday's tornado.
-
Mayor wants tornado shelters in new homes
Moore Mayor Glenn Lewis wants tornado shelters in all new homes in his city, where an EF-5 tornado damaged or destroyed more than 12,500 homes Monday afternoon. A proposed ordinance would require a shelter inside or outside each new residence.
-
AUDIO: Residents share their tornado experiences
Moore, Okla., residents talk about living through Monday's EF-5 tornado.
-
In fan fiction, your favorite characters do what you want them to
When J.J. Abrams took over the "Star Trek" franchise in 2009, he boldly went where the series hadn't gone before — romantically — pairing Uhura with Spock. Many fans disliked the change. Some loved it. Others didn't care, because they just wanted to see Kirk and Spock make out.
- More Community News Network Headlines
-
Mayor: Person Killed in San Antonio Flooding
Raw: Apple 1 Computer Sells for More Than $650k
Hagel Urges Cadets to End Scourge of Sex Assault
Raw: Gay Rights Activists March in Ukraine
Bus Fire Kills 16 Children, Teacher in Pakistan
Raw: Pakistan Election Results Protested
Raw: Trucker Bumps I-5 Bridge Before Collapse
Raw: Texas Deputy Shot by Colo. Suspect Honored
Major Detours Following Wash. Bridge Collapse
American Held in Grisly Czech Murders
Raw: Jersey Shore Reopens for Summer
UK-bound Pakistan Plane Diverted, 2 Men Arrested
Officials: Tsarnaev Friend Linked to Slaying
Obama:Sexual Assault Threatens Trust in Military
Bridge Collapse Survivor: 'Rough Day'
Jersey Shore Open for Business
Raw: Memorial Day Flags Placed at Arlington
New Wheelchair Lift Promises More Access
First Person: Mom Discusses Famous Tornado Photo
Raw Video: Washington State Bridge Collapse
