Experts Provide Fire Safety Tips After 2 Fatal Fires In Tulsa

Two people died in two separate fires over the weekend in Tulsa.

The fire department says one was caused by cigarettes and one started in the kitchen. The Oklahoma Safety Council says the best thing to do to protect yourself is to be prepared before a fire. 

"When you have a fire in the house, panic is the number one thing that will step in, it will kick in and you just go over and over with them about what to do in a fire," Stewart said. 

Martin Stewart is the operations manager for the Oklahoma Safety Council. He says making sure your family has a good escape plan can help save lives. 

One important step is to make sure doors and windows don't have anything blocking them. 

“If you have to go out of a window, don't jump. You want to hang out of the window, decrease the distance to the ground before you let go," Stewart said.   

He encourages families to prepare a meeting destination outside of the house don't go back inside for any personal items. Stewart says one of the common mistakes people make is smoking in bed. Another danger is putting water on a grease fire. Instead, cover the fire with a lid or use baking soda, and not be cautious with cords and outlets. 

"You want to keep a fire extinguisher maybe near the garage or maybe near the sink," Stewart said. 

Lastly, always make sure you replace batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. 

The Oklahoma Safety Council provides fire prevention classes for anyone who wants to be prepared.