ARDMORE, OK-- An Ardmore police officer and his family are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support they've received one day after their home caught fire. Now the community is coming together for the family forced from their burning home in the middle of the night. Austin Wright has more.

Ardmore Police Officer Matt Bell and his family woke up to smoke filling their bedroom late last night. Fortunately, the family was able to get out of the burning house safely. As the sun rose Thursday, they saw the extent of the damage and say they realize just how lucky they were to escape with their lives.

Matt Bell looks over the damage to his home caused by last night's fire.

"We don't know. We're still waiting to find out if it's going to be a total loss or not," Bell says.

Officer Bell and his family were asleep late last night when officials say something sparked the fire in near the exterior of the house in the 1600 block of Ward. The flames quickly engulfed the home's attic.

"This is where we noticed it. My wife woke me saying she could smell smoke and look out the window, and there was nothing but a fire ball there and we got everyone out and called 9-1-1."

The Bells have been waiting patiently for the insurance adjusters to arrive and begin their inspection of the home to determine where the family will go from here. Officer Bell says whatever happens after this is survivable, and he's just thankful that he and his family was able to escape their burning home uninjured.

"The house can be replaced. Everything, every possession I have can be replaced, but my family can't. I'm only going to get them once,” he says.

“I grew up without a dad, and my kids aren't going to do that."

All day long friends and relatives have dropped by and checked in with the Bells. Even the family's next door neighbors offered to give the Bells a place to stay while they get back on their feet.

"We started making pallets out on the floor because we knew they would need a place to stay, and we got them bedded down probably around five but I don't think anybody slept much," neighbor Bobbie Lawn says.
Fellow officers have stopped by ready to give any help that Bell and his family might need, and it's that community support that Bell says will help them overcome this tragedy.

Authorities are currently investigating, but still no word on what might have sparked that fire.