Tulsa Firefighters Battle Midtown Apartment Fire, Bitter Cold

The Tulsa Fire Department said a fire heavily damaged a midtown apartment building and left a number of residents without a place to stay early Thursday.

Firefighters got the call about a kitchen fire in the 4100 Apartment complex at 39th and Norfolk about 2:30 a.m.

They arrived to find flames coming from the roof of a building in the complex.

District Fire Chief Jeremy Moore said the fire breached firewalls in the building and spread to two connecting buildings before firefighters were able to bring it under control.

He said firefighters rescued a family from a second-floor balcony and several children trapped inside another apartment.

Moore said he called in a second alarm because firefighters battled bitterly cold temperatures as well as the fire. He says the extra fire crews were needed so they could rotate firefighters in and out of the fire scene to keep warm.

One resident was taken to the hospital due to smoke inhalation. There's no word on that person's condition.

Resident Johnny Harris talked to News On 6 on what he will do next.

"At this point, I don't want to go pile up on my son or my brother, so I think I'm going to take in a hotel somewhere until I can get my thoughts together," Harris said. "Relocating, at my age, that's not the easiest thing to do. Other than that, everyone got out safe and I'm proud of that." 

TFD brought in City of Tulsa transit buses to use as temporary shelters for about 20 people displaced by the fire. The Red Cross was also assisting.

Moore said the cause of the fire is under investigation.