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Professor of Engineering Sciences Bill Ryan and his wife Wilma have lost their home and everything in it to a devastating fire.
“Wilma was coming home and walked in on it,” Ryan said. “She tried to call for help but her phone would not work, probably because she was too nervous, so she called the pastor, Chris Hill, from Luther Church of Christ, and he called 911.”
On May 21, the Ryans would have lived in this house for twelve years. For the last decade, they had been remodeling their home, spending many hours and resources on it.
“The propane hot water tank caused the fire, but exactly how that happened we don’t know yet,” Ryan said. “We are still waiting on the fire inspector.”
The firemen showed up to the house 15-20 minutes after receiving the 911 call from Chris Hill. The time it took them to respond was a bit longer than usual in Edmond. The firemen were not able to save anything. The house was completely destroyed with only a few charred pieces of smoldering walls left standing.
The Ryans have lost everything from the fire, but plan on rebuilding a new house on the same site with a different floor pattern. The old house had too many levels for them.
“It was built several times – the original build in 1941 in Edmond – before it was moved to the property in 1980,” Ryan said. “We bought the house in 2001, and since then we have added to it and have completely remodeled everything in it.”
Chase Ray, one of Dr. Ryan’s engineering students and Oklahoma Christian University alumnus, made a donations webpage sponsored by Oklahoma Christian Engineering Alumni.
“We all know him for his quick smile, kind heart and genuine heart of service,” Ray said. “Let’s help Bill and his wife Wilma as they recover from the total loss of their home due to fire.”
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