Fire agencies encourage smoke detectors after recent deaths

MOSES LAKE — Firefighting agencies are encouraging the public to make sure they have smoke alarms installed in their homes after two locals were killed in a Jan. 7 home fire. Grant County Fire District 3 Chief Dave Durfee said sometimes people misunderstand fire risks and fail to take appropriate precautions. 

“If I asked you, ‘Do you lock your door at night when you go to bed?’ And most people (say), ‘Yeah, I lock my door. I don't want somebody coming in and robbing my house and then me possibly losing my life.’ But then you ask that same person, ‘When was the last time that you changed your smoke detector batteries? Or do you even have smoke detectors?’ And they're like, ‘Well, I don't know,’” Durfee said. “Then, when you look at the stats, you are more likely to die in a house fire than a home (intruder).” 

Two Moses Lake residents, Nikki Leggett, 30, and Zaccari Miller, 29, were killed in a house fire that was reported at about 1:50 a.m. Jan. 7. A press release from the city of Moses Lake said the house they were living in lacked working smoke alarms. Most Columbia Basin fire departments have programs that help people find and install smoke alarms, as well as help people analyze their residences to improve fire safety. 

“The Moses Lake Fire Department is available to answer questions about smoke alarms and fire safety,” the city press release said. “We can also help install smoke alarms if you need assistance. In addition, we offer free home safety inspections, during which our staff can identify potential fire and fall hazards and provide guidance on ways to make your home safer.” 

There were 72 fire fatalities in Washington in 2024, according to a report from the Washington State Fire Marshal. 

Tom Salsbury, chief of Adams County Fire District 5, said he was contacted late last week by Red Cross representatives about their Home Fire Campaign, which provides smoke alarms and helps people install them. More information on the program is available on the Red Cross website, www.redcross.org, or by contacting the Greater Inland Northwest Red Cross.  

Durfee said GCFD 3 also has a program to help people find a proper smoke alarm for their house and circumstances. 

“We have a program where you call into the station, and we will come and inspect your smoke detector, and if you need a new one, we will guide you in the right path to get one,” he said. 

Smoke alarms should be installed inside all bedrooms, the Moses Lake press release said. A residence with multiple floors should have smoke alarms on every floor, and residences with a basement should have a smoke alarm on that level. Large homes may need more than that.  

Monthly tests are recommended. The Moses Lake press release recommended interconnected systems, where if one alarm is activated, they’re all activated. There are a lot of choices, Durfee said, so people should do some research to determine what works best for their situation. 

“You have to take the time to understand what kind of system that you have in your house, the type of alarms you have,” Durfee said. “If you don't know, obviously, we're here to help educate. But then you have to take it a step further. I encourage individuals to test those systems to make sure they work.” 

Some smoke alarms work on batteries that must be replaced periodically; others can last up to a decade. Some combine carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, although Salsbury said he doesn’t recommend those — smoke rises and is best detected near the ceiling, while carbon monoxide is best detected at floor level. 

Smoke alarms don’t last forever.  

“They have a shelf life,” Salsbury said. 

A smoke alarm should be replaced every 10 years, the Moses Lake press release said. Some manufacturers recommend other timeframes, which are generally printed on the back of the device.

Durfee said people also should think about escape plans and make sure they can get out of the house if there is a fire.  

“That’s a whole shift in mindset that we as the fire service hope the public gets, that if you’re taking it seriously, you should also take it seriously as to (having) a plan, making sure my exits are (accessible),” he said. 

    Two people were killed in a Jan. 7 fire in a residence that lacked working smoke alarms, according to city of Moses Lake officials.