Mother and Daughter in Critical Condition After House Fire

<b>Fire victim Catherine Daniels. (Photo courtesy: The Daniels Family)</b><br><br>A house fire leaves two people critically injured and investigators are trying to find out how it started. The fire broke

Wednesday, February 2nd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Fire victim Catherine Daniels. (Photo courtesy: The Daniels Family)

A house fire leaves two people critically injured and investigators are trying to find out how it started. The fire broke out just before 8:00AM Wednesday in the rear area of the residence. A smoke detector and a passerby alerted the people inside. "I would want someone to jump out and run to me,â€ said Michele Hardrick. â€œThey might not know me, but if there is a human being in there, you don't think about yourself, you just run in and do what you got to do."

Firefighters arrived to find smoke and flames coming out of the windows, but only two of the three residents were outside of the house. Catherine Daniels escaped, but suffered severe injuries from smoke inhalation. She's in critical condition at a Tulsa hospital. Her husband, David Daniels, escaped unhurt. Their daughter, 42-year-old Patricia Daniels was trapped inside. She's unable to walk because of advanced multiple sclerosis. "I saw smoke, but the closer I got to the lady's bedroom, I started feeling flames," Hardrick said.

Firefighters pulled Daniels through a front bedroom window. She's also in critical condition with injuries resulting from smoke inhalation.

One of the firefighters, Tony Douthit, got so close to the fire it melted part of his helmet. He's new to the fire department and Wednesdayâ€™s house fire was his first call. "We're in the business of helping others and saving lives, so I got a good taste of it the first day on the job," Douthit explained. He was the first firefighter to go into the house on the fire attack squad. Another team went in for the rescue. "The day's not over yet,â€ he said. â€œWeâ€™ve still got a long day ahead of us."

The mother and daughter injured in the fire are well loved in their neighborhood. The hospital waiting room was full of friends and family members. Wednesdayâ€™s events found them asking themselves why this happened to such kind people. "Once you meet them, you just fall in love with them," said neighbor Bertha Reese.

The 66-year-old Daniels is known throughout the area for her baking. "The baked goods are so fabulous,â€ Reese said. â€œShe's known for her rolls and German chocolate cakes." "If anybody wanted rolls made they would always call Catherine and she was more than happy to bake for them," said neighbor Patty Dumas.

Daniels may be known for her skills in the kitchen, but she is also known for her heart. Betty Blair remembers how Daniels reached out to her family a few years ago, when she worked for them. "She became a member of the family and with the many tragedies weâ€™ve had in our family, she was always there," Blair explained.

Danielsâ€™ friends say her family is her real passion. She's cared for her daughter Patricia, bed-ridden with Multiple Sclerosis since 1996. The disease sent her home from California where she'd rubbed shoulders with the stars while working for a movie studio. She still has some of the pictures that show her with such movie stars such as Denzel Washington, Venessa Belle-Calloway and Lawrence Fishburne.

And if the battle against M-S wasn't enough, now the younger Daniels fights injuries caused by smoke inhalation and burns. "We don't understand it, but we know in the end something good will come out of it," Dumas said. Catherine and Patricia Daniels are in critical condition at Hillcrest Medical Center. Investigators haven't determined what caused the fire.

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Patricia Daniels,center, pauses for a photo with Venessa Belle-Calloway and Denzel Washington. (Photo courtesy: The Daniels Family)