Fire Destroys Several Businesses In Tulsa Strip Mall

It took Tulsa firefighters almost 45 minutes to bring a fire at a strip mall at 61st and Lewis under control early Tuesday morning.

No one was injured.

Tulsa Fire got the call just after 2 a.m.

When firefighters arrived they found heavy smoke pouring from several stores in the mall.  Flames soon broke through the roof and the fire rapidly spread from store to store.

The crews on the scene went into defensive mode and called in more firefighters to help.

The owner of the mall, Andy Allen, says there were eleven businesses in the strip mall.  He said the businesses in the middle were destroyed and the two businesses on each end of the mall sustained smoke and water damage.

Tulsa Fire says fire walls near each end of the strip mall prevented the two businesses on each end from being destroyed.

Firefighters worked to protect homes on the backside of the fire.  They stopped the fire from crossing an alley and getting into an apartment complex.

Investigators are sifting through what is left to try to determine a cause.

The strip mall was damaged in May 2010 by a thunderstorm.  The roof of the mall was damaged causing water damage in several of the businesses.