TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa firefighters went door to door in a west Tulsa neighborhood Tuesday, installing and repairing smoke detectors just hours after an RV fire killed a 19-year-old woman.
The effort is part of the Tulsa Fire Department’s Project Life program, which sends firefighters into neighborhoods to make sure residents have working smoke detectors.
“These devices, there’s no question whether they’ll save your life, and so many homes don’t have them or don’t have them in working condition,” Tulsa Fire Department spokesperson Andy Little said.
“In 2026 so far we’ve had five people die in home fires, and that’s five too many,” Little added.
Firefighters focused their effort on the neighborhood near the fatal RV fire, which happened around Charles Page Boulevard and 65th West Avenue, checking homes and either installing new smoke detectors or repairing existing ones.
West Tulsa resident John Alves was among those who welcomed firefighters into his home.
“I really enjoy my property here, and I want to make sure me and my family are safe,” Alves said. “And I want to keep from any emergencies happening, so having a fire alarm is big.”
Little said firefighters often have success getting residents to participate in Project Life after a fatal fire occurs nearby.
“When we tell them that someone on the block across from you died yesterday, people, they listen because they don’t want that to happen to their family,” Little said. “It hits close to home, literally.”
For Alves, the effort is also about protecting the neighborhood as a whole.
“This is a good community, and the more things we can do to keep this community safe, the better off we’re all going to be,” Alves said.
The cause of the RV fire remains under investigation, according to Little. He said the woman’s boyfriend tried to rescue her and is hospitalized with severe burns.
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