A Christmas Eve fire spread from one home to another in Owasso, destroying both structures and affecting 18 people.

It began about 6:00 p.m. in a neighborhood near E. 86th St. North and 129th E. Ave.

KRMG spoke with Battalion Chief Mike Sole at the scene.

He says the fire apparently began in the chimney of one structure, and by the time his crews arrived had already involved the house next door.

"When we rolled around the corner...there was already fire out of the whole roof on this number one house, and fire -- from the north wind -- really impinging on that house there, and it was already lighting that house on fire."

Connie Allbritton and her daughter Emily were coming home from church when they saw all the emergency vehicles.

"I got to that cul-de-sac," she said, pointing just up the street, "and went 'I think that's our house.'"

Her husband, Wes, was sleeping inside the home when a neighbor spotted the flames.

Knowing Allbritton was inside, he went into the house and woke him up.

"He said 'Wes, the house is on fire," Connie told KRMG. "'No, I think it's the house next door.' And Jerry said 'No, it's caught your house."

He got out, as did the fifteen people that were in the home where the fire started.

It was apparently an extended family and friends who had gathered for the holiday and lit a fire in the fireplace.

There was some good news for those people, Connie says.

"The little kids, their toys for Christmas were in the shed. And I'll share this with you: Somebody came up and gave them $2,000, cash. And somebody else came and gave them a check for $3,000."

Emily says she and her husband to be are planning an April wedding, and had just brought all the stuff for the wedding to the house.

"All of our stuff, everything -- we had just brought it home. So it was up there."

She said they'll still get married -- but possibly without centerpieces on the tables at the reception.

Then she related the story of a little girl who noticed what had escaped everyone's attention in all the confusion.

In the front window of the home (visible in KRMG's photos of the scene) was a plastic nativity scene.

Connie says "a little girl that I watch, she's become part of our family. She was standing right over here and she said 'Emily, Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus are okay.' That's what it's all about."

"Out of the mouths of babes," said Emily.

Battalion Chief Sole says he believes both structures to be a total loss.

No one was hurt.

The Red Cross responded and helped with shelter and clothing for those involved.