Two Injured In Tulsa Meth Fire, Woman Arrested

By Chris Wright, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Authorities say a meth lab is to blame for another apartment fire.  The fire started on Monday afternoon at the Comanche Park Apartments, near 37^th Street North and Peoria in north Tulsa.

Two people were injured in today's fire.  Firefighters say, unfortunately, incidents like this have become a weekly affair.

Authorities say nine people, including four children, were at home when a meth lab-related fire erupted on the second story of a duplex.  The children were fine, and have been taken into police custody.  Two other people were injured, though.  One is in critical condition, the other serious.

Investigators say two more people took off before firefighters arrived.

"It's a community-wide problem, it really is," said Tulsa Fire Captain Michael Baker.

Captain Michael Baker says TFD is tiring of battling what seems to be a never-ending string of meth-related fires.

"The problem now what we're seeing is it's just not a fire situation, a burn situation.  It's a fire and a burn.  Just every time. We're also having incidents where it's beginning to impact the ability of the burn unit to treat patients in Tulsa.  We're putting a lot of workload on them," said Tulsa Fire Captain Michael Baker.

"It's unimaginable. All his clothes were burned off.  His body was blistered all over, really not a pretty sight," said Comanche Park resident Dewayne Sumbler.

Dewayne Sumbler says he witnessed one of the burn victims stumble from the apartment. 

He and other neighbors admit Comanche Park does have its problems, but until now, say meth has not been one of them.

"I've been here for a while. Everything else happens, shooting, but this has never happened," said Comanche Park resident Dewayne Sumbler.

"I feel sorry for the kids cause first of all they shouldn't have had their kids around anyway if they were going to do something like that, and they should know better to even do that period," said Comanche Park resident Jonathan Williams.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire before it spread to any other apartments.

Tulsa Police arrested 28-year-old Amber Ketcher.  She was booked into the Tulsa County Jail on complaints of arson, child endangerment and manufacture of a controlled drug.