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Tulsa Fire Department surveys community after fatal fire on South Peoria

Posted at 10:04 AM, Nov 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-21 11:04:27-05

TULSA, Okla. -- On Monday Tulsa Fire knocked on at least 100 doors to make sure people have working smoke detectors.

After a woman and her dog died in a fire early Monday morning, crews wanted to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else.

"It's been kind of a busy winter season. It hasn't cooled down much at all and we're already seeing an uptick in fires," Captain Stan May said.

Homeowners of the burned property said the victim was a renter, and a substitute teacher in her late 60s. Investigators are now working to find out exactly how she died, and what sparked the fire. The department sees a range of causes this time of year.

"Everything from heating, to cooking, to electrical issues that may not actually be related to the heater... but the load on electrical in your house always goes up during the winter," May said.

Neighbors said they feel a greater sense of safety watching firefighters go door to door.

"If the rest of the city was as efficient as the Tulsa Fire Department this would be a much better city," Jerry Talley said.

Tulsa Fire said the risk of dying in a house fire goes up about 20 percent if you don't have a working smoke detector in your home.

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