An early morning fire last Wednesday in a Sulphur residential area destroyed a multi-story home and severely damaged two others.
Sulphur Fire Chief Tracey Laxton said when he arrived at the scene of the fire at 1148 Division Street, one two-story home was totally engulfed in flames, and neighboring homes to the south and north were beginning to catch fire.
Sulphur fire engines began arriving just after 6:44 a.m. when the first call came in, and firemen battled flames throughout the morning and into the early afternoon.
A resident of a home next door to the south of the destroyed structure was able to safely get out of her home after a neighbor, Keith Murray, broke into the front door to alert her of the fire, according to a KXII.com post.
Murray told the outlet he was walking his dog when he smelled smoke, then looked and saw a glimmer of flame in the window of the original home on fire.
Laxton said some 25 firefighters from Sulphur, Davis, National Park Service and Ada battled the flames throughout the morning. Sulphur police and Murray County Sheriff’s officers also helped with hoses, bringing in oxygen tanks, and securing the scene.
According to Laxton, firefighters’ primary concern was trying to save the two homes on each side of the destroyed structure. He said the home to the north, at the corner of Division St. and Wynnewood Ave., sustained the most damage, while the home to south sustained smoke, water, and some fire damage in the attic.
Flames from the blaze could be seen from miles around.
Firemen used three pumper trucks, two from Sulphur, and one from Davis, and the aerial tanker from Ada in battling the flames.
According to reports, the destroyed home had been unoccupied for some time, however Sulphur police was dispatched to the scene earlier that morning for a noise disturbance call, according to 911 records.
Laxton said there were no injuries to homeowners in the affected area or to firemen. He said the Oklahoma State Fire Marshal’s office was called to investigate the origin of the blaze.
The area of the fire is one block north of West 1st St. (U.S. 177), and two blocks northeast of the main business district in downtown.
Laxton said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
