Officials Credit Smoke Alarm For Saving Man During SW OKC House Fire

A homeowner safely escaped an early morning house fire in southwest Oklahoma City, after the smoke alarm reportedly woke him up.

According to the Oklahoma City Fire Department, at 3:41 a.m. Friday, firefighters responded to the report of a house fire in the 2700 block of S.W. 64th Street. When firefighters arrived, they reported seeing flames coming out of the front door and smoke coming out of all sides of the structure.

The homeowner was the only person inside at the time. He said the smoke alarm woke him up as his home was filling with smoke.

Firefighters were able to put out the fire. Officials said the fire appears to have started in the attic. The exact cause is still under investigation.

The fire caused about $60,000 in damage to the structure and its contents.

Fire officials stressed that without a smoke alarm, this story could have ended very differently. They noted that most fire deaths occur in residential structures, and most during the overnight hours while people are sleeping.  Smoke does not wake a person up, and it is usually the smoke, not the fire itself, that takes lives.