Frigid Temps Make Fighting Fires Tough For Tulsa Crews

Tulsa Firefighters battled several fires throughout the city Friday.

The bitter cold temperatures that continue to sweep across Green Country are making their job even harder.

The bitter cold impacts firefighters whether they are inside or outside, making an already dangerous situation much more hazardous.

Tulsa Firefighters were out in full force Friday, battling fires and the cold. 

At a house fire near 25th and Yale, slippery conditions made it tough for rescue crews. 

Just a few miles away near Riverside and 37th, similar conditions at a duplex fire. 

"It affects what we do a lot, you know obviously you are dealing with the water issues, anytime it’s this cold you have to deal with water in the tank that can freeze," said Tulsa Fire Captain Jacob Younger.  

Younger said the cold conditions can also take a toll on their machinery. 

"Also inside the structure, things work a little bit differently it’s just with anything mechanical cold doesn't always help, can work a little bit slower," said Younger. 

And fighting the fires inside a home doesn't make it any easier either.

"Being able to go in and effect fire attack but then you have wet gear, you come back out in that wet gear and that's a lot colder," said Younger. 

Fast forward to yet another fire near 11th and Sheridan that is believed to have started in a bedroom. It happened just as the sun was setting and temperatures were beginning to drop. 

"It's cold and we bundle up as much as we can, and we try and get our hose lines up off the ground as quick as we can just to keep them from freezing,” said District Chief Nate Morgans.  

In all three of those fires, Firefighters said all the people made it out safely. 

Firefighters also want to remind everyone they should have working smoke detectors in their homes.