A HEROIC man has tragically died while saving his family from a catastrophic house fire on Christmas day.

Steven Weatherford was sleeping on his dad’s couch when he was woken up by smoke and flames.

Steven Weatherford died while saving his family from a fireCredit: KPix

He rescued his father, aunt, and brother from the blaze before succumbing to smoke inhalationCredit: Gofundme

Weatherford’s girlfriend tearfully revealed that she’d learned after the tragedy that he intended to proposeCredit: KPix

The 37-year-old man rushed to alert his elderly dad and other members of his family who were still asleep and helped them get out of the house in time.

However, he was 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed while trying to save them from the horror blaze in Oakland, California.

Weatherford reportedly rescued his father, aunt, and brother from the home but entered the house again to search for something.

Firefighters said he then died from smoke inhalation.

Weatherford’s aunt Eunice Smith called Weatherford a hero who saved her life.

“He was a good person. He was a good family man. He saved his family,” she told Bay Area ABC affiliate KGO-TV.

“He saved four people in that house. He woke them up, and he saved them, and he went back because he wasn’t sure that everybody was out of the house.

“He was a hero.”

Weatherford was spending Christmas day with his family for their annual holiday celebration.

He had made plans to propose to his girlfriend, Lashante Mayo, on New Year’s Eve.

Mayo tearfully said that she’d learned after the tragedy that he intended to propose.

“Steve was truly the best person you could ever meet. He loved his family, his friends, and everybody so much,” she told CBS News.

“They told me this morning that he was going to propose to me. I had given up on love until I had met him.

Weatherford’s distraught family members claim he went back inside the house to get the ring.

“He didn’t get a chance to give it to her. But it is in the house, and we are going to find it,” Mayo’s mother said.

The Oakland Fire Department received an alert about the fire at 6 am.

While rescuers were able to put out the fire in 30 minutes, they found Weatherford’s body lying inside the house.

Michael Hunt, a spokesperson from the fire team, said he was “affected and likely disoriented by the smoke.”

Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the inferno, but is likely to be accidental.

HOLIDAY TRAGEDY

It comes after a sprawling $4 million mansion went up in flames after its owner tried to cook Thanksgiving Turkey in the garage.

Dramatic footage showed the gigantic blaze engulfing the grand manor in Connecticut before it was reduced to ashes.

A thick cloud of black smoke rose above the house as glaring orange flames ripped through the stunning mansion.

Firefighters rushed to the scene after the fire was reported on a holiday afternoon, but they struggled to put out the raging flames.

The aggressive blaze quickly spread throughout the home, damaging its core structure, which could have collapsed at any moment and created dangerous conditions for responding firefighters.

Authorities said the residents were trying to fry a turkey for the big meal Thursday afternoon inside their garage.

The room soon went up in flames, and the fire began “rapidly extending into the residence.”

Pictures of the aftermath of the huge fire revealed the charred remains of the mansion that has now been deemed “inhabitable.”

None of the residents or neighbors were injured in the dramatic fire.

Steven has been dubbed a ‘hero’ for saving his familyCredit: KPIX

Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the infernoCredit: KPix