By Colleen Williamson
Parsons Sun – November 26, 2013
Submitted by Newz Group Clipping Service – December 3, 2013
A mother and three children living in Altamont can give testament to the fact smoke detectors can save lives.
Altamont-Mount Pleasant Township Fire Department Fire Chief Keith Shaffer said the department received a call at 4:57 a.m. November 13 reporting a structure fire at 800 E. Seventh, Altamont.
The home was occupied by Karen Gard and her three children at the time of the fire.
“A log rolled out of the fireplace onto the carpeted floor in the living room. The smoke detectors did go off. That’s what alerted them and they were able to get out,” Shaffer said. “They had a fire plan and they followed it. We preach that, but most people don’t actually have one.”
Parsons Fire Department and Oswego Fire Department provided mutual aid. Labette County Emergency Medical Services was also on scene.
“The living room, kitchen and dining room on the first level of the home all have a lot smoke and heat damage. The downstairs furniture was totaled,” Shaffer said. “The upstairs was primarily smoke damage. Everything was still intact, all their clothing and furnishings.”
The house is temporarily uninhabitable, and Shaffer said the Labette County Red Cross has been helping, and family is assisting Gard and her children as well.
“They did have insurance, and they have brought someone in to do cleanup from the fire,” Shaffer said.
If the smoke detectors had not gone off, the Gards may not have been awakened in time to get out of the home.
“Most fire deaths are not caused by burns, but by smoke inhalation. Often smoke incapacitates so quickly that people are overcome and can’t make it to an otherwise accessible exit. The synthetic materials commonplace in today’s homes produce especially dangerous substances,” the National Fire Protection Association explains. “As a fire grows inside a building, it will often consume most of the available oxygen, slowing the burning process. This ‘incomplete combustion’ results in toxic gases.
“In addition to producing smoke, fire can incapacitate or kill by reducing oxygen levels, either by consuming the oxygen or by displacing it with other gases. Heat is also a respiratory hazard, as superheated gases burn the respiratory tract. When the air is hot enough, one breath can kill.”
Smoke from a fire can cause residents to become disoriented, so having an escape plan is essential.
These dangers are the reason firefighters ask residents to use and maintain smoke alarms and develop and practice escape plans, Shaffer said.
Check fire alarms at least once a month to ensure they are functioning properly and, if they are battery-operated, change out the batteries at least every six months. Families should also practice their escape plan at least once a year.
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