West Tulsa Residents Frustrated After Latest Fire In Neighborhood

Neighbors are frustrated after a fire in West Tulsa.

They said while the fire itself was minor the problem that goes along with it, is anything but.

The fire happened in an outbuilding behind this boarded up house off West 3rd street and people who live here in the area say they are sick and tired of these kinds of problems.

Tulsa firefighters worked to put out a fire in this out-building behind an abandoned home in West Tulsa this afternoon.

On the street, a man detained by Tulsa County Sheriff's deputies.

But that scene doesn't shock the neighbors.

"I thought, oh great, again!" said neighbor Aleysha Smith. 

Smith grew up off West 3rd Street and said when she moved back home a year ago, she noticed a change.

"This is just not a safe neighborhood anymore," Smith said. "There's a lot of homeless people, there's a lot of strange looking characters just roaming around, shady, like they're up to no good."

And, that's exactly what neighbors think happened at the fire, someone up to no good.

In fact, Alton Smith, whose family has lived in the neighborhood since 1953, said the problems are constant.

"In the past two year, our house has been broke into a couple of times, my garage in the back has been broken into at least 5 times," Alton Smith said. 

Wednesday, Alton Smith said he was back in court for the last time his home was burglarized.

"Now, if you don't have a deadbolt lock and some other kind of security system, you're asking for it," Smith said. 

The Smith family doesn't exactly want trouble.

Alton and another member of the family are in wheelchairs.

And Aleysha has two 17-month-old babies, they said they have enough to worry about.

Without having to worry about who is wandering around, just outside their doors.

"It's hard to think that this is where I grew up and now I don't feel safe with my children here."

Neighbors said they saw squatters running from the fire, but investigators are working to determine exactly what caused it.

News On 6 is working to find out if the man seen in handcuffs was arrested, and if so, what for.