Friday, December 10, 2010

Family escapes near fire tragedy

DATE: December 9, 2010

FROM: Brian Halvorson, Fire Inspector, Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, cell 659-8986

On Tuesday, December 8, 2010 at 1:55 am the Coeur d’Alene Fire Dept responded to a two alarm fire at a multi-family dwelling located at 500 block of E. Wallace Ave. The fire was contained to the basement with smoke damage throughout the structure. The basement was occupied by a family of six. An additional four people lived upstairs. All people escaped the fire unhurt. The American Red Cross is assisting the occupants finding other housing.

The Coeur d’Alene Fire Department and the Idaho State Fire Marshal’s Office conducted an investigation and determined the fire started in the children’s bedroom in the basement. The Fire Department learned that two of the children, ages 4 and 5, admitted using a lighter to start bedding material on fire. They woke up their parents and they all escaped outside to safety. There were not any smoke detectors in the basement which would have detected the fire sooner.

The Coeur d’Alene Fire Department would like to remind parents and caregivers to keep matches and lighters out of reach of children. Also, check your smoke detectors and batteries to make sure they are working. Install a smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector on each floor of your home. These are especially important to have inside and outside each bedroom.
Take the time to educate your family so everyone stays safe and practice a fire escape plan.
Please contact the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department at 769-2340 if you need assistance with installing detectors or changing batteries in your home. The Coeur d’Alene Fire Department has free smoke detectors for those people in need.