Pittsburg County Man Killed In Mobile Home Fire

Family members are heartbroken over the death of a 65-year-old man who died in a house fire in rural Pittsburg County.

Paul Graber was killed Sunday evening when his mobile home in the Sunset Shores area on lake Eufaula caught fire. That's about eight miles East of Krebs.

A faulty space heater is believed to be what caused the fire at about 3 Sunday afternoon.

"it's going to haunt me for a while," said Jason Graber, Paul's nephew.

Jason Graber says the fire that killed his uncle and destroyed his parent's home, moved so fast. The heat was so intense. The loss is so hard.

The fire started on one end of the house. Within minutes, it spread all the way down the mobile home.

"The trailer being so old, it just went up like a match stick," Graber said.

Family members couldn't get Graber out a window even though they could see and hear him.

"I could see him, but I couldn't get close enough to him," Graber said.

Paul Graber had cerebral palsy. Family members say the man with the white beard and friendly smile loved life and others.

"He was just an eight year old in a 60 year old body. He loved animals, he loved to go fishing. He never hurt anybody," described Jason.

The death is a horrible tragedy that took a good person. 

"Do have them checked out. Have them checked out professionally. Don't think it can't happen to you. Because it can," said Pittsburg County Sheriff Joel Kerns.

Grabers' family shares that same warning to be cautious with heaters this winter season. And they remind everyone not to take loved ones and life for granted year round.

"Tell them you love them every day. Show them you love them. Whether you need to or not, or if you just said it, say it again," Jason said.

The OSBI was called in to investigate Grabers death, but it was determined two holes in Grabers skull were from a previous surgery and not caused by the fire.