Family Escapes Early Morning Fire

A family of three adults at 9 Caroline Street, Georgetown were awakened by the sounds of fire crackling over their heads at approximately 05:53 AM this morning. The fire, which was has been determined to have started in the attic of this 1 1⁄2 story wood frame home, was burning for an unknown amount of time before waking the residents of the home. The three adult occupants along with three dogs, safely evacuated the single family dwelling without injury and called Emergency Services.

At the height of the fire a total of 28 firefighters were on scene with 7 emergency vehicles. Aggressive actions by the fire crews resulted in containing the fire to the attic and bringing the fire under control very quickly. Crews remained on scene for a couple of hours checking the numerous voids normally found in attic construction for hot spots and small fires. While the attic suffered serious fire damage, the remainder of the home suffered water and smoke damage.

Preliminary figures of the fire loss are estimated to be in the area of $30,000. A fire cause investigation has determined the fire to have started in the attic and is believed to have been caused by a failure of the electrical wiring. The investigation also revealed that the home was not equipped with any working smoke alarms. The occupants of this home are very lucky to have escaped this home safely with no working smoking alarms, as the end result could have been much more tragic.

This serves as a reminder, that as of March 1, 2006 it is Provincial Law that every home is to be equipped with at least one working smoke alarm on every story including the basement and outside every sleeping area. Smoke alarms are designed to provide early warning of fire to permit the safe evacuation of your home.

For further protection, smoke alarms also need to be tested and maintained so that they work as designed. If you have a battery operated smoke alarm, replace your battery twice a year. Also, all smoke alarms should be tested monthly by pushing the test button and it is a good idea to vacuum the smoke alarm too.

Should anyone have any questions regarding smoke alarms or their proper placement, please contact Captain Dave Ford of our Public Education Division at 905 873-2601, Ext 2115.

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