Lapeer Fire Department warns dangers of disabling smoke alarms after apartment fire
(CBS DETROIT) - Firefighters in Lapeer have a message for residents never disable your smoke alarm.
The warning comes after a fire broke out at an apartment complex on Village West Drive five days ago.
In the aftermath of the fire on Jan. 2, investigators discovered that smoke alarms had been removed from their mounts and the batteries removed from the ground-floor apartment where the fire started.
The fire spread into the hallway and an apartment on the second floor.
"When your smoke alarm goes off, it goes off relatively early into the fire incident. That allows you the earliest time to get out because this smoke alarm where multiple smoke alarms were not working correctly; this occupant was only alerted because she was awoken by the smoke and coughing," said Lapeer Fire Chief Mike Vogt.
Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt. Two elderly people living in the unit were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation and minor burns.
The cause of the fire at the apartment complex is still under investigation.
"If that smoke alarm would have went off earlier, we can say with certainty that they would have more time to get out," Vogt said. "We would have been notified quicker we could have got there, and hopefully we could have stopped the spread."
The Lapeer Fire Department has a free smoke alarm program. The smoke alarms have a 10-year lithium battery sealed on the back.
"We come into your home or to your apartment, we install alarms by code, which is an alarm in every sleeping area and every floor of your home. And then we also go over escape planning and life safety planning," Vogt said.
"We cannot stop anybody from removing it from the ceiling or from the wall; however, they can't take the battery out. So even if the smoke alarm is taken down, it's on a counter or on a table like this one was, it is true that the alarm will not go off as quickly, however, it will still function once the smoke hits that alarm."
Anyone interested in getting a free smoke alarm installed in your home can contact the Lapeer Fire Department at 810-664-0833 or email lapeerfd@ci.lapeer.mi.us.
