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City of Bartlesville

Posted: Mar 02, 2020 1:18 PMUpdated: Mar 02, 2020 1:22 PM

Smoke Detector Saves Man's Life as BFD Responds

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Garrett Giles

A smoke alarm saved the life of a 94-year-old man on Sunday morning as the Bartlesville Fire Department responded to a fire in the 4000 Block of Minnesota Avenue.

According to BFD Public Information Officer Bill Hollander, heavy flames were seen coming through the roof of a single story residential structure. Hollander said the man in the house was asleep when his smoke detector woke him up. He said with confidence that the man would not have made it out of his home in time if his fire alarms hadn't sound.

All parties were fortunate that the man heard the smoke detector going off. Hollander said the irony of the matter is that the resident had actually purchased the alarms recently, and the Bartlesville Fire Department had installed them for the man.

While some of the firefighters aggressively attack the fire with the water that was available on the trucks, other were tasked with obtaining a new water supply from the nearest fire hydrant, which was almost a quarter of a mile away. After laying approximately 1400 feet of hose, a new water supply was successfully obtained to continue supplying water to the firetrucks.

Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control in about 45 minutes and spent nearly five hours on the scene to make sure that all of the hot spots were totally out. The structure sustained heavy fire, smoke, and water damage. Hollander said the structure is likely a total loss.

The fire department believes the fire started in the attic due to an electrical issue. Hollander said the matter is still being investigated. He added that smoke detector was the difference between life and death in Sunday's fire.

While it might sound harsh, Hollander said that if do not check your detectors, or you do not install detectors, and someone dies in your home because of a fire, it is your fault. He said do your loved ones a favor: check and install your smoke detectors.

Next Saturday into Sunday is Daylight Savings Time. Hollander said this is a good time to check your smoke detectors. He said you can also pull the detectors off the wall to check the manufacture date on the back. If it is 10-years-old or older, it is time to replace the alarm system for everyone's safety.


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