Children Blamed For Tulsa Building Fire That Damaged Classic Cars

By Chris Wright, The News On 6

TULSA, OKLAHOMA -- Investigators believe careless kids are responsible for a fire that caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.

A storage facility containing classic cars and classic parts caught fire, and it took 11 crews to put it out.

"You can see its tight access back here so we had a little trouble getting our crews back here, but they did a good job," said District Chief Roger Williams, Tulsa Fire Dept.

The owner said those three classic cars are salvageable despite all that smoke and water damage. He said the major losses from this fire, between one and two hundred thousand dollars, are coming from the loss of classic car parts he's collected over the years.

Unfortunately, the owner says he doesn't have insurance. The Tulsa Fire Department said several juveniles admitted to flicking a cigarette into the building. As a result, the fire's been ruled accidental and not arson.

"It's very unfortunate, but what can you do except feel sorry for the guy," said Vickie Barrett, Ace Striping and Sealcoat.

Vickie Barrett, who runs nearby Ace Striping and Sealcoat, has had to remove graffiti recently and says loitering teens are an issue for many North Lewis businesses.

Chris Wright, The News On 6: "So it just kind of comes with the territory?

Vicki Barrett, Ace Striping and Sealcoat: "Yeah, yeah, um huh, yeah."

Because investigators say there was no criminal intent, the juveniles will not face any consequences for the fire.

The owner said one of the classic cars is an extremely rare 1951 Ford Skyliner. While the cars can be restored, he said many of the parts are simply too rare to replace.