Smoke Alarm Saves Clinton Resident

 

            In the early hours of Thursday, January 17, 2019, the City of Clinton Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire on Sunset Rd.  Responding fire crews arrived on scene moments after being dispatched, to find a large, two-story house fully engulfed in flames.  The Clinton Police Department was first on scene and found the homeowner making his way down the hallway and was able to direct him outside to safety.  All occupants of the house made it safely out without any injury.  The home owner credited his escape from the fire to having working smoke alarms.  As part of a community risk reduction program, the Clinton Fire Department had installed new, ten-year lithium battery smoke alarms through-out the house.  This program is free of charge and available to all Clinton residents.  When the fire started, the home owner was asleep but was awaken to the sound of the beeping alarms.  Per Chief Archie Brummitt, “working smoke alarms have been proven time and time again to be life saving devices”.  This proved to be true for this resident of Clinton.  The fire department was able to extinguish the fire but significant damage was done to the structure.  The age of the house and the “balloon” type construction allowed the fire to spread to all areas of the house quickly.  Anderson County EMS and Oak Ridge Fire Department also assisted on scene.  The cause of the fire is still under investigation. This morning’s fire is a reminder to us all the importance of ensuring your home has working, in date smoke alarms.  For information about the Clinton Fire Department’s program to install life saving smoke alarms in your home, call (865) 457-2131.