Cause Of A Tulsa House Fire Remains Under Investigation

Looking at what's left of a Tulsa home, it's hard to imagine anything can be salvaged. The damage is extreme. <br/><br/>The fire early Monday morning was noticed about midnight by the home's

Monday, December 11th 2006, 6:05 am

By: News On 6

Looking at what's left of a Tulsa home, it's hard to imagine anything can be salvaged. The damage is extreme.

The fire early Monday morning was noticed about midnight by the home's lone resident. Tulsa Fire investigator Darrell Beeler: "He went out and tried to hook the hose up and tried to come back in to put it out himself, but got kind of overcome a little bit."

The owner, didn't have to be taken to the hospital, but the home was destroyed. The delay in calling for help hampered efforts. When firefighters arrived, flames were already shooting from the house. â€œOne is he waited so long to call. We didn't get the call until late so when we got here, it was all pretty well involved. It got so hot that it flashed over finally."

While, investigators are working to find the cause, the owner believes the fire started when a burning log fell out of a fireplace. Tulsa firefighters say the house didn't have electricity or heat, so the fireplace door was left open.

Darrell Beeler: "The big thing he did wrong was of course, having the doors open on it. Not having anything to keep the logs from rolling out. You just, don't do that. You just can't do that. It's dangerous."

When Tulsa firefighters arrived, this entire cul-de-sac was filled with thick, black smoke. In fact, it was so smoky, that it was difficult at first to determine which house was burning. The wind was strong, and those wind gusts picked up burning embers sending them across the street onto other homes.

Neighbors say firefighters did a tremendous job keeping the fire from spreading.

Damage to the home is estimated at $300,000.