TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa firefighters have been hard at work since the beginning of the new year as they battle an increase in structure fires.
Between 2019 and 2021, the Tulsa Fire Department averaged about 65 structure fires by this time in the year. But, in 2022, the fire department is already up to 85 structure fires by Friday. It added another 15 by Monday afternoon, bringing them to 100 structure fires for the year so far.
A big reason for these fires is the cold weather.
“We know that when we have winter storms those temperatures drop, people are looking for sources of heat, oftentimes not properly utilizing those sources of heat," said Andy Little, public information officer for the Tulsa Fire Department.
Little said they typically see an increase in structure fires around December and January. As of last week, TFD responded to 50 house fires. He said they are seeing a rise in fires at vacant houses where someone looking for shelter goes to get warm.
“Most of those vacant structures don’t have electricity," Little said. "So we are seeing campfires of sorts to stay warm or cook, and candles.”
Little said if you see someone going in and out of a vacant building near your home to alert Tulsa police.
“Not only to protect that property, but we also want to make sure that those people aren’t harmed in those fires or firefighters responding aren’t harmed in those fires," Little said.
As another round of cold weather approaches, Little said it’s important to educate yourself on preventing a fire. He said to check your furnaces, chimneys and be cautious with your space heater, which is one of the biggest causes of fires in the winter.
“It’s very important to only plug one in per outlet, not use an extension cord," Little said. "And it’s very important to make sure there’s nothing within three feet that’s combustible.”
Little said now is also a good time to check your smoke detector to make sure it’s working so it can alert you in case of a fire.
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