A structure fire at 7:06 a.m. Sunday destroyed a home at 4550 Mayes Drive in Norman.

Newcastle firefighters, who were located on SH-9 about 2/10ths of a mile as the crow flies from the scene, responded to the call.

The structure was reported at the time to be fully involved with heavy smoke, according to dispatch audio.

Firefighters on the scene said the homeowner told them a mattress had caught on fire and he attempted to put it out. By the time Newcastle Station 2 arrived on the scene, the home was totally involved, said Newcastle Fire Chief Todd Yates. The chief said Newcastle Station 2 responded within two minutes from receiving the call.

“Newcastle Station 2 and Station 1 were both paged out at the same time,” Yates said. “Station 2 sent two apparatuses over with four firefighters, and then Station 1 responded with one engine and three firefighters. Once the guys got there they called for mutual aid from Goldsby and Blanchard. They had four different apparatuses with eight different personnel respond.”

Yates said Newcastle then put out an all page and six more firefighters responded with three more apparatuses. McClain County Emergency Medical Services then responded in case their services were needed by firefighters battling the fire and to offer other help.

Neighbor and eye-witness Carol Kluth said flames reached as high as 90 feet in the air.

“The roof of the home was about 40 feet high and the flames reached heights of at least 50 feet beyond that,” she said.

When the former Purcell and Norman banker Pat Mayes and his wife, Gerry, constructed the home it was about 6,000 sq. ft.

However, the home had been added on to bumping the square footage up to around 8,000 sq. ft. Yates said the value was at approximately $1.675 million.

Witnesses said they saw at least one or two explosions and also saw what amounted to other explosions but without the noise.

“That’s when flames would really shoot up,” Mrs. Kluth said.

She said it started with a plum of smoke but escalated in a blink to a totally engulfed situation.

After the initial 911 call was made, neighbors called again and were told they had an engine on the way. The witnesses said the second caller said, “You’d better send everything you have.”

It was a lost cause and completely destroyed.

McClain County records show the home was owned by Myra and Leonardo Espinoza, who witnesses said were home when the blaze started.

The on scene witness said the couple were able to rescue their pets and get out unharmed.

Yates said structure fires are fortunately few and far between in Newcastle, but when there is one the department is appreciative of the mutual aid they receive from the other area fire departments.

“It is nice to have the extra resources,” Yates said. “The more people you can get on the scene like that, it helps out.”

Yates said firefighters spent seven hours at the scene and had to return Monday morning for a hot spot.