I'm so tired of reading the news. Lately so many people have died in house fires... common denominator?

NO SMOKE ALARMS!!! wth?

A mother lost her husband and 2 children yesterday ... why? Because she didn't take the time to go spend $7 bucks on a Smoke Alarm - so tragic and so preventable!

How will she ever go on?

A lifetimes of 'If Only"

I have about 5 extra smoke alarms laying around, in the garage, laundry room and all over the house.. in addition to the ones hardwired throughout the house and the Talking one I have in my son's rooms.

If there is a fire, we'll hear about it.

Guys & gals, please get up right this second, check your batteries, test your alarms... if you don't have one, go get one - right now.. please.

I was just telling my husband we need to be sure to change out the batteries. You're right - it is a tiny price to pay when compared to the horrible loss. I don't know how someone can go on, either. To lose your whole family, including children. My heart goes out to her. Doesn't the fire department give our alarms if you can't afford one?

Yes, ECO, they do. There is Zero reason to not have a smoke detector in your home. (Now to double-checking the batteries in mine, though they've been going off quite a bit lately due to my lack of cooking skills.)

I'm guilty for not having such alarms. I have 2 different alarms, but they're intended for hearing people. All my windows is like 8 inches wide.

One day I'll drive down to Sulphur to get them. The place relocated down there, so they don't have to pay rent in the Shepard Mall location anymore.

Thunder, you are a special case with your hearing problems. I hope you go get the special ones so you will be safe. Please make it a priority. You know how these things go, if you don't push yourself out the door, "one day" may be a day too late.

Do it for us!

My thoughts exactly!!

All you have to do is call us!!

We'll bring it and we'll install it, free!!

We will even come by and check it, and replace the battery, free, if that's all you need.

This should not be happening.

What THEY said!
For some time folks have advocated tying battery changes to the changing of the clocks weekend each spring and fall.

So, if YOU, yeah YOU, right there, reading this, have not changed your batteries, or worse, do not have alarms in place so you can go change the batteries, please, go fix that this weekend, as in today.

May you never be standing outside watching flames break through a roof, but better that than being the one that breaks a relative's heart and a firefighter's heart because you never woke up to get out.

Let me add to that:

May you never be standing outside watching flames break through a roof while your children are trapped inside screaming for you ... because you were too lazy to get a smoke alarm.

Sorry, but there is NO excuse to not go out and get one today and to not check your Alarms and change batteries today.

It's not fair to the kids who trust that their parents will take care of them.

And, while I'm at it, buckle them up!

.. okay off my soapbox.. it just kills me that innocent children have to suffer so needlessly because of their stupid parents.

One day I'll drive down to Sulphur to get them.


Why don't you or your mom call them and offer to pay for shipping?

And, yes, install as many 'hearing' alarms that you need.. and alert your neighbors.. even if you can't hear them, a neighbor might.. aren't you in an apt?

Tell your neighbors on all sides of you to come wake you up in case of an emergency.. give those you trust a key.

Also, I wonder if you shouldn't contact your local Fire Dept and explain your situation and ask if there is anything they can do.. at least they will know of your situation in the event of a fire.

Yeah, I'll have to get ahold of someone and send an email to have the paperworks mailed to me. Mom already have hers for years. I just haven't got around to it. I will, tho.

I'll get 2 of them for free. I believe the state pays for all devices for the deaf.

Thunder, If you live in the Oklahoma City limits, which I think you do?, you or I guess your Mom or a friend, can contact your closest fire station, probably Fire Station #13 over by the old GM plant on Air Depot #733-0180. We can input your information into our premise data base. This will automatically display on the computer of all responding apparatus to your address advising us of your limitations. Also, it may be helpful to provide contact information for friends or relatives. The fire station would just have to send an email to our dispatchers and they can input the information. This is a valuable tool we have that not many people are aware of. Especially helpful for folks living by themselves or incapacitated in some way. Really, any valuable information we can get to help make things easier for all involved parties is the goal.

Good info there fire 121. As I live south of OKC, I didn't realize this service was available to folks in OKC. I suspect you're correct that many of your locals are also unaware

maybe your fire house, or someone up the chain, ought to hold a coffee, donut and tour morning for the talking heads from each of the local media outlets.

I've heard about the fire alarm availability program, saw another segment last night actually, but added aid to those who need it is either not as well publicized, or perhaps I'm just always off to the fridge and I miss it (also a possibility as me n the fridge, we be friends.)

you know its not so much this topic of alarms as its is, this.
I seen people who just dont give a damn about fire bans, "oh its meant for them in the city/country".
There's no real good reason to have a firepit to burn your trash, its not only enviromental unsound, its dangerous.
My grandfather use to have 3 30k gallons tanks ready to douse one area at a time, before he make a firebreak , and the current owners have keep the practice.
The problem is also never clearing or having a controlled burn, which I'm less likely to support now that I know its not a enviromentally sound doctrine.

Why do you say controlled burning is not environmentally sound? And what exactly are you meaning when you say controlled burn? Are you talking about when people do it themselves on their own property or wildlife agencies doing it in state parks and forests?

And yes, I do agree burn bans are something to be taken seriously.

it release particles into the air we breath, and causes not only heat but light absorbing into our global atomsphere.
Sometime back the Foresty service/park service had a no fire burn, which meant at no time can a fire be allowed to burn "vast swatches of land".
Some plants need fire to release their seeds and some biocultures needs cleared land like pastures/grasslands for grazing animals/deer/elk and so forth.
My granddad had a ranch outside of Ardmore, some of which would get very wooded, very quickly as well as the terrain was somewhat rocky.
If he hadn't cut the woods down or clean the brush, it poised a higher danger of having a fire that could spread to other property owners, and they would rotate much like crop rotations on what areas to fired, or allow to grow, if it can be mowed it was done so.
I seen alot of people who let alot of growth around their buildings with no thought to fire breaks.
We do get dry spells, and of course our own high winds. Its just a better idea all around.
But I don't know how to balance that and releasing particles and contributing to global warming "ie particles in the atomsphere absorbes more heat/light raising the temperture".

Extremely critical fire risk today. All you smokers be sure and watch your butts. Storm Prediction Center Fire Weather Forecasts (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/fire_wx/overview.html)

who can afford to smoke these days???

Extremely critical fire risk today. All you smokers be sure and watch your butts. Storm Prediction Center Fire Weather Forecasts (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/fire_wx/overview.html)


Obvisiously someone didn't hear you say that!!

Makes us wonder how many of these fires were started by cigz.

who can afford to smoke these days???

I guess the ones who can't afford an ashtray.


Obvisiously someone didn't hear you say that!!

I knew it was going to be bad yesterday. As dry and warm as it was and with winds forecast to be gusting 50-70mph it was a disaster waiting to happen. Second guessing myself now I should have started a new thread and done all the typying in MAGENTA color. Sadly I don't think it would have changed anything. Everyone should have known it was a dangerous day.

I don't know what caused or started the fires yesterday whether it was cigg butts, power lines arching or some idiot burning trash. But I'm sure most of them were human caused. So very very sad. Lets hope if thats the case (human stupidity) someone is caught and prosecuted.

On a technical note: Its sad that even though the NWS was issuing an EXTREMELY critical fire weather warning there was no BURN BAN in effect in Oklahoma county that I know of. Or many of the other counties that were effected. I wish that when the weather service issued these warnings it would immedeately implement the burn ban. Closing the barn door after the horses got out there is this issued today at 10AM~~~~~more than 24 hours to late: http://forestry.publishpath.com/Websites/forestry/Images/oklahoma%20041009.pdf

This is all that was issued yesterday Prefire: "Special note to the public: Controlled burning today is not advised. Outdoor burning will be difficult or
impossible to control under the forecast fire weather conditions in most areas of Oklahoma today. Be extremely
careful today with anything that could start a wildfire" The other counties and their burn ban status can be found here. Burn Ban Information | Oklahoma Forestry Services (http://www.forestry.ok.gov/burn-ban-information)

makes you just crazy sometimes:whiteflag :doh: :kicking: :numchucks :kicking: :ohno: :fighting2