Smoke detector provides early warning of Moses Lake fire
Smoke alarms alerted a Moses Lake family to a fire started by a plugged-in appliance early Wednesday morning.
COURTESY PHOTO/MOSES LAKE FIRE DEPARTMENT
MOSES LAKE — A smoke detector alerted the residents of a Moses Lake home and allowed them to escape an early-morning fire Wednesday.
The fire, in the 2600 block of West Texas Street, occurred about 1 a.m., according to a statement from the Moses Lake Fire Department.
“Upon arrival, crews found light smoke coming from the home. Firefighters determined the fire had started and was contained to a plugged-in appliance,” the statement said. “The fire was extinguished before it could spread, limiting damage primarily to smoke within the residence.”
The MLFD statement recommended people have smoke detectors in the house and check them to make sure they’re working, a recommendation seconded by the Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office.
State law mandates that property owners must install at least one smoke alarm in each residence, and that tenants must maintain it, according to a release from Courtney Chambers, deputy state fire marshal.
“Working smoke alarms are one of the most important elements of home fire safety and provide critical early notification in the event of a fire,” she said.
Smoke alarms should be installed in all bedrooms and on each level of a residence. They should be connected so if one is triggered, all of them activate. A smoke alarm should, however, be at least 10 feet from a stove.
Some come with replaceable batteries, and those should be checked at least twice a year. Others are built to last 10 years, but they should be replaced if they start chirping due to a low battery.
There are smoke alarms for the hearing-impaired, which use a strobe light in addition to the audible alarm. There are also devices that shake the bed or a pillow to alert hearing-impaired people at night. People should do their research to determine which will work best for them, Chambers said.
People should have a home escape plan, and everybody in the family should be familiar with it. Families should practice it, both during the day and at night, and should have a designated meeting place outside.