A Langford couple were lucky to escape injury recently after an overnight fire ripped through the kitchen of their house.
The incident has prompted Langford Fire Rescue officials to raise the alarm about the importance of having working smoke detectors in oneB次元官网网址檚 home.
B次元官网网址淭hese people were very lucky to escape,B次元官网网址� said fire prevention officer, Insp. Lance Caven.
The fire was confined to the kitchen and a detector was located nearby. B次元官网网址淎t some point they had taken the battery out,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淟uckily the woman woke up in the night, went down the hall and found the fire.B次元官网网址�
By the time the man was up, the smoke was so thick he didnB次元官网网址檛 know where his partner was, said CavenB次元官网网址檚 fire prevention counterpart, Insp. Chris Aubrey.
B次元官网网址淭wenty or 30 years ago materials were a lot different, there was a lot of wood,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭oday thereB次元官网网址檚 a lot more plastic. Fires burn a lot hotter and faster than before.B次元官网网址�
As a precaution, the upstairs couple were taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. While the fire was limited to one room, the home suffered smoke damage throughout the upstairs.
A downstairs tenant had no idea there was a fire until the trucks arrived, Caven added.
Some homes have smoke detectors hard wired, negating the need for batteries, and in some cases the upstairs and downstairs devices are linked, he said.
The close call has firefighters encouraging people to test their smoke alarms every six months to make sure theyB次元官网网址檙e all in good working order.
Aubrey says people often make the assumption their detectors are working if they havenB次元官网网址檛 heard them go off in some time. As well, placing a device too near the kitchen can create false alarms, he added.
Langford Fire Rescue offers a free in-home smoke alarm check for residents that includes free replacement of any battery powered devices older than 10 years.
Advice is also given on options for hard-wired detectors, which are advisable since they donB次元官网网址檛 require batteries, Aubrey said.
For information on the program, or other information about smoke detectors, call 250-478-9555.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
