Craig and Chelsea Lewis experienced their worst nightmare when their dream home on Lake Eufaula was reduced to charred rubble just weeks before Christmas.
“Overnight, it ended up being a total loss,” said homeowner Chelsea Lewis.
Despite the devastation, the family expressed deep gratitude for the heroic actions of their neighbor, Chris Hudson, an agent in charge at the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.
As the blaze spread through the home, Hudson immediately recognized the danger.
“As we got closer, we noticed their back porch was on fire,” he said.
The Lewis family were away at the time, leaving three beloved pets trapped inside the burning house.
“I called Craig and said, ‘Hey, I need the code. I don’t want to kick in your door,’” Hudson recalled. The two stayed on the phone throughout the ordeal. “He was hustling for sure,” Craig Lewis added.
Hudson said his determination came from concern for the animals. “That was where I really wanted to help get as much out as I could, and definitely save their puppers,” he said. “I’ve got dogs. I love my dogs. Everything else could be pretty much replaced. We had to take care of them.”
The pets, frightened by the chaos, jumped directly into Hudson’s brand-new car after he rescued them from the home.
Hudson’s bravery continued as he made two additional trips back into the structure. “The second trip was a little more intense,” he said. “The smoke was getting thick. You couldn’t see a whole lot.”
He was able to retrieve the family’s computers and a basket of keys to move several vehicles out of the path of the flames.
“Not only was he thoughtful enough to call, but he literally risked his life to get our dogs and those few things,” Chelsea Lewis said. “We are beyond grateful and indebted to him forever. We are very lucky to call him our friend.”
Throughout the incident, Hudson demonstrated exceptional courage and commitment to the safety of others, while remaining humble about his actions.
“The focus should be on them,” he said. “I did what any ODOC employee would do because we all have the same heart. They’re the ones who lost everything right before Christmas. They’re the ones I want to help rebuild.”
