Homeless Men Who Died In Tent May Have Suffocated After Fire

Two homeless men died Wednesday in Tulsa after a small fire in the tent where they were living.

The cause of their death hasn't been determined, but police said the medical examiner is working on the case.

3/7/2013 Related Story: Bodies Of Two Homeless Men Found Inside North Tulsa Tent

It might have been smoke inhalation from the men being closed up in a tent, but whatever happened to them, there are plenty of other homeless people camping out in Tulsa.

The place where the two men died, hardly anyone noticed.

It's a small homeless camp right by some railroad tracks near Pine Street and Utica Avenue.

It's just out of sight of drivers on U.S. Highway 75 and it illustrates a problem many people overlook.

"I think people would be surprised how many people camp, down south and east, really in pretty large numbers," John 3:16's Rev. Steve Whitaker said.

Whitaker said that, in Tulsa, about 150 homeless people, mostly men, camp out rather than go into a shelter.

He said some choose to live like this because the want to drink alcohol or do drugs, but many end up in situations like this when they can longer live in a car or with a friend.

For some, he said, it is their first step into homelessness.

"They're sometimes proud and they don't want to ask for help, they want to make it on their own, still," Whitaker said.

On Wednesday night, the police responded to a call for help from a woman who lives in the camp.

She found the two bodies just after dark.

Police do not suspect foul play in the deaths and believe the two middle-aged men suffocated in their tent.

There's signs of smoking and several pieces of charred cloth in what's left of their belongings.

There are beer cans and vodka bottles scattered around.

Whitaker says about 50 homeless people die like this in Tulsa each year, even though there is a safe spot somewhere for all of them.

"And yet, we still have what appears to be growing numbers of people who want to camp out for whatever reason," Whitaker said. "And it's sad, especially when you hear someone didn't make it."

The police have found the family of one man to notify them of his death. His name is Tommy Rogers and he was 53.

They are still trying to find the family of the other man.