Mandy Eggleston was watching TV in her family’s theater room on the morning of April 30 when a loud boom shook the house near Southeast 89th Street and Sooner Road. The lightning strike caused an immediate fire, sending smoke throughout the home.
“I just hear a loud bang, like a bomb – like a boom!” recalled her mother, Jamie Eggleston.
Mandy quickly ran to check on her mother and younger brother Ryan, who had both been asleep. Without hesitation, she pushed them toward the door and out of harm’s way—even helping her mom, who sprained her ankle while escaping.
“I remember trying to push them out of the house. Mom was a big struggle,” Mandy told KFOR. “When I got to the door, the door was locked. So I was fidgeting with the thing to get it open.” In the midst of the chaos, Mandy remained calm enough to grab her phone and call 911. She later stayed in “adult mode” at the hospital, responding to calls and texts from concerned loved ones.
Battalion Chief Greg Lindsay of the Oklahoma City Fire Department praised her bravery: “What Mandy did is a very adult thing. She got everybody out, and then they stayed out of the house.”
The family’s home burned nearly to the ground. Her father Kevin, who was out of town at the time, believes the timing of the lightning strike may have saved his life.
“If I was home, I probably would’ve been in the shower,” Kevin said. “It could’ve killed me.”
Days after the fire, the Eggleston family had an emotional reunion with the firefighters from Station 13 who responded to the blaze. Jamie expressed heartfelt gratitude: “Thank you so much. I know it could’ve been a lot worse if it wasn’t for what y’all do, and I just have so much more appreciation.”
Kevin added that despite the trauma, they’re staying put. “We received several random acts of kindness. There’s no way we’re leaving. We are definitely rebuilding.”