Firefighter Warns Of Smoke Alarm Importance After Second Deadly House Fire In A Week

An early morning house fire turned tragic as Oklahoma City firefighters discovered a person dead inside the home, marking the second fatal fire in just a week.

Both fires occurred in homes without working smoke alarms, according to the Oklahoma City Fire Department, which is urging residents to prioritize fire safety as winter approaches.

"It's the smoke that kills people," said Scott Douglas with the Oklahoma City Fire Department. He says that working smoke alarms can drastically improve survival chances.

“You actually have a 50% greater chance of survival if you have a working smoke alarm inside your home," Douglas said.

Douglas explained that in the event of a fire, the smoke can incapacitate people quickly, giving them only minutes to escape.

“Smoke has a tendency to lull you to sleep,” Douglas said. “So the smoke may not wake you up like a lot of people think that it will.”

With the holidays and colder weather on the horizon, Douglas reminded residents to be proactive about fire safety.

“There’s a lot of potential for fire hazards this time of year,” he said.

Douglas stressed the importance of regularly testing smoke alarms to ensure they are functioning properly.

“There’s a test button on your smoke alarm. You just need to punch it monthly, and then you’ll hear a beep,” Douglas said. “If you punch that button and then you don’t hear a beep, then you have a bad or a faulty smoke alarm.”

To illustrate the importance of smoke alarms, Douglas pointed to the department’s "Wall of Fame," a display of smoke alarms recovered from residential fires where occupants survived.

"Smoke alarms do save lives," Douglas said.

Fire officials are urging residents to check their smoke alarms now to ensure they are ready for the colder months ahead.