Homeowner Saved by Smoke Detectors Given Out by Deputies
Benton County Deputies and officials are feeling very happy about this call, even though some damage occurred.
Remember those smoke detectors handed out by Benton County Deputies over the last summer into fall? The free program was started after a tragic fire earlier in the year in Benton City. A boy and his sister died in a house fire where officials say a smoke detector would have likely helped alert and save them. So Deputies and Department workers began going door to door, talking to residents and making sure they had working units, and knew how to properly maintain them.
After handing out well over 500 of the units to various homes and in mobile home parks, one of them saved a family AND their house.
Wednesday night in Benton City, fire crews and deputies were called to this home about a fire. Here's the rest of the story from Benton County Deputies:
"The home owner stated she and her children were in the house when the smoke alarms started going off. She and her family were able to get out of the house and found that there was a fire in her attic space with flames coming out of the roof. The home owner told us the smoke detectors that alerted her to the fire, were from when the Sheriff’s Office went door to door and were handing them out. Fortunately, the fire was detected early, it was contained to a small area and everyone made it out safely!"
Whether it's one or a hundred, we'd say this program has been a success. Benton County plans to resume more smoke detector patrols and handouts soon.