OKC Fire Department Advises Emergency Preparedness Following Fatal Fire

The Oklahoma City Fire Department is reminding residents to have an emergency preparedness plan in place after a fire killed two people at an apartment complex.

The three-alarm fire happened at about 6:51 p.m. Friday at Penn Station Apartment Homes on Heritage Park Drive, Flames were erupting from the roof of a building when firefighters arrived.

While crews began fighting the flames and evacuating tenants, two people were trapped inside their second-story apartment, the Fire Department said.

"We had a great indication of where they were at due to the information our dispatch received," said District Chief Scott Douglas. "So we knew their apartment number, which was great information for us to minimize our search efforts and localizing them in their apartment."

Douglas then explained how crews reached the trapped victims.

"Once we made entry into the second-story apartment, we broke a window," said Douglas. "Two firefighters went inside and at that time, there was a large ceiling collapse. So our firefighters had to back out, extinguish some flames, and re-enter the home. And that's when we located the two people in the bathroom and we quickly removed them from the home and started life-saving efforts at that time."

The two people, a man and a woman, have since passed away, Douglas said. Their names have not been released.

While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, Oklahoma City Police said it did not appear that foul play was involved.

Sixteen apartment units were uninhabitable, the Fire Department added.

The Fire Department said so far in October, its crews have responded to 35 house and commercial fire alarms, including two three-alarm fires, which both happened last week. Since the beginning of the year, firefighters have rescued 10 people.

With the weather getting colder, the Fire Department said the risk of fires increases due to the use of space heaters, extension cords and other devices. With that in mind, Douglas is advising residents to practice their exit drills.

"Make sure you have two exits out of whatever room you may be sleeping in or staying in, whether it be a window or a door," said Douglas. "An exit drill is something that everybody should be practicing - your kids, every adult, every kid in the home. Everybody should be included in this and practicing the fire drill."

Douglas said families should establish a meeting place outside in the event of a fire and avoid going back into a burning home to retrieve items, like wallets. Once outside, stay outside and call 911, said Douglas.

He also reminded residents that they can get free smoke alarms from the Fire Department.

"If you are a resident within the Oklahoma City area, call 405-316-BEEP (2337) and we will be glad to come out and install one for you for free," said Douglas. "Typically, once the smoke alarm sounds, you may have as little as two minutes to exit the home so having a plan prior to when an emergency comes is crucial."

Click here to learn more about getting a free smoke alarm.

Click here to learn more about making a fire escape plan.