Tulsa World: 5 people escape 2 house fires; dog dies in 3rd blaze

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5 people escape 2 house fires; dog dies in 3rd blaze

By Staff Reports
Published: 11/20/2009 2:22 AM
Last Modified: 11/20/2009 6:12 AM

Five people safely escaped two house fires Thursday in Tulsa, and a third house burned while its residents weren't at home.

All three homes were total losses.

A woman and two children were unharmed by a blaze that caused significant damage to their home early Thursday, and two women in a Midtown duplex also escaped safely when a fire engulfed the structure that afternoon, authorities said.

The fire burned through the roof and scorched everything in a house in the 3200 block of South 136th East Avenue about 12:30 a.m., Tulsa Fire Department spokesman Bill French said.

Damage to that house and its contents was estimated at more than $100,000, he said.

No working smoke detectors were in the home, and it wasn't immediately clear what caused it to catch fire, French said.

A friend of the family offered the residents temporary housing, and the Tulsa Chapter of the American Red Cross helped with food, clothing and a storage container, spokeswoman Shelly Henderson said.

Firefighters were called to the second blaze, in a duplex on the southwest corner of 36th Street and Norfolk Avenue, about 1:20 p.m.

Resident Misty Abrams was at home with a friend when a water meter reader alerted them that the house was on fire. The women and Abrams' dog left the house immediately, French said.

No one was home in the other side of the duplex.

By the time firefighters arrived, the back of the duplex was engulfed in flames, French said.

The roof soon collapsed, forcing firefighters to battle the blaze from outside. The structure was expected to be a total loss, French said.

Abrams had been experiencing intermittent power outages before the fire started, and she had flipped the breaker and called the electric company, French said.

The fire started before workers from American Electric Power-Public Service Company of Oklahoma arrived. Preliminary signs indicate that the fire was electrical, French said.

The Red Cross assisted two families in the afternoon fire, providing food, clothing and a hotel stay, Henderson said.

Later Thursday, firefighters lost a battle to a house fire near 51st Street and Memorial Drive.

The two-story, roughly 2,200-square-foot house in the 7700 block of East 53rd Place was a total loss, French said.

The fire was discovered when the owners returned home about 8:30 p.m., he said.

The area above the garage was engulfed by the time firefighters arrived. They went into the house to get in front of the flames but were forced out as the fire migrated around the structure.

No people were in the home, but the family's dog, a beagle, died in the fire. By Staff Reports

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Fire destroys house near 51st and Memorial," which was published on 11/19/2009.

	Report Comment irwindale, Tulsa (11/19/2009 3:29:31 PM) Does the city have a record for all required permits. Not. Seems that permiting in Tulsa is a bad word. Part time landlords!
	Report Comment SS_Hippy, Tulsa (11/19/2009 3:44:55 PM) glad they are ok, sorry for the loss of the house
	Report Comment SEStone, TULSA (11/19/2009 4:08:55 PM) irwindale, jump to conclusions much? You have no idea what you are talking about do you?
	Report Comment irwindale, Tulsa (11/19/2009 4:30:23 PM) Bet. I have watched and reported several instances where additions and remodels have occured without one permit being pulled.
	Report Comment drugeducator, tulsa (11/19/2009 4:42:08 PM) Happy to say the puppy and all involved are safe. TPD was amazing - they arrived so quickly. Thank a firefighter when you can; this thing was hot and burned FAST.
	Report Comment drugeducator, tulsa (11/19/2009 6:00:19 PM) ah, this house had no additions or construction.
	Report Comment mayor_maynot, Tulsa (11/19/2009 6:49:49 PM) Looks like irwindale is a petty snitchbb. Or code enforcement. HA if you call the lumps at code enforcement workers. They drive their little hutmobiles up and down the road suckin coffee and donuts with violations in plain sight. But they wouldn't do anything about it unless someone reported it. No ethics or pride in job. Lazy creeps.
	Report Comment wolf1, (11/19/2009 7:01:03 PM) I hear you on the code people....Ive called the city at least five times on the people next door, and nothing I swear I'm living next to the city dump and yo should smell it after it rains
	Report Comment mayor_maynot, Tulsa (11/19/2009 7:07:54 PM) drug educator. Are you teaching use or abstinence. From your post it looks like the drugs are really giving you a head change. Especially since TPD and TFD have very few similarities. One saves lives TFD. The other TPD ruins your day by taking you to jail. It's common for most educators to double check their work. Unless ugh you are not smarter than a fifth grader.
	Report Comment tfromtulsa, Tulsa (11/19/2009 9:41:23 PM) I hope the little beagle is OK.
	Report Comment lava, Tulsa (11/19/2009 10:06:13 PM) Hopefully the beagle will be found but if he/she was inside the house I'd be very surprised if the dog made it. I live a block away and saw the fire myself. It would be amazing if anyone could survive that.
	Report Comment Ryanoceros, Tulsa (11/19/2009 10:32:44 PM) This is sad, a home fire is one of my biggest fears. ...that and mountain lions (hey, I used to live in mountain lion country).
	Report Comment Thunder196, Tulsa (11/19/2009 11:36:33 PM) Sorry this family has lost everything. I am especially sorry they lost their pet Beagle. My thoughts are with them.
	Report Comment Galadriel, Lothlórien (11/20/2009 6:02:00 AM) I am especially sorry they lost their entire house, less so the beagle.
	Report Comment Nina44, Sand Springs (11/20/2009 6:54:11 AM) Good work TFD. Prayers to those who lost their homes and pet. My pay cut was well spent. Really. Now can we stop arguing over the sillier points of the City's budget and look into those IT personnel positions?
	Report Comment shaw411, Scottsdale, AZ (11/20/2009 6:57:31 AM) Glad everyone made it out ok....prayers to the beagle......
	Report Comment Dr. Strangelove, Las Vegas (11/20/2009 7:05:49 AM) 3rd holiday housefire in 2 days.....
	Report Comment Issues of Fact, (11/20/2009 7:52:18 AM) Tis the season...fires come in bunches this time of year.
	Report Comment RC1936, St. Robert (11/20/2009 7:53:52 AM) To the reporter and editor: The word "destroyed" tells readers that the house was a "total loss." Read your AP stylebook and you'll understand that.
	Report Comment Paperjunkie#1, (11/20/2009 8:05:27 AM) Was this the 3rd non meth related house fire yesterday?
	Report Comment PR, (11/20/2009 8:12:29 AM) What a nightmare. So sorry for the family. Losing their beloved beagle, I'm sure, is devastating as well.
	Report Comment margaritiville, Tulsa (11/20/2009 8:25:34 AM) My thoughts go out to this family. I'm so sorry for your loss.
	Report Comment irwindale, Tulsa (11/20/2009 8:36:55 AM) drugeducator. Converted to a duplex means electrical separation was required.
	Report Comment ggmom, (11/20/2009 9:00:06 AM) I ran a roofing company off on Wednesday because their copresser kept blowing the circuit breakers and I was concerned about a fire. Told the contractor that until a gas powered generater was brought in they were finished. This fire makes me extra glad I took that move.
	Report Comment What the ?, Tulsa (11/20/2009 9:56:06 AM) I see mayormaynot is stirring trouble again.

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