Lawton Fire Chief Jared Williams brought a blunt message to the Greater Lawton Rotary Club: Oklahoma’s fire risk is more than double the national rate, and six people have died in Lawton fires since 2024. Every one of those deaths involved a missing or inadequate smoke detector, including a fire that killed two children.“They all have one thing in common,”Williams said.“No working smoke detectors.”
The department isn’t just talking about it. Officials redirected prevention funds to purchase 144 remote smoke detectors, and crews have installed 74 since February. Firefighters responding to medical calls now ask to install an alarm when they notice a home without one. Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire by 60%, according to the chief, and the department runs 146 personnel across eight stations and three shifts to provide round-the-clock coverage.
Residents can request a free smoke alarm and installation through the city website. If you rent, own, or just haven’t thought about it in years, this is the moment to check. Have you tested the alarms in your home this month?
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Local Lawton
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