On Wednesday, Nov. 27, the Brunswick Fire Department responded to a residential fire at 11:30 p.m. Most home fire deaths occur between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. This fire had the potential to cause significant fire loss and possible injuries if it had not been for the presence of working smoke detectors in the home and the quick action by the occupants.

There were two people home, asleep, at the time of the fire. They were alerted to the fire by the smoke alarms. They woke to find a fire in the laundry room and were able to partially extinguish the fire while they were calling 911. The house is an older construction style with balloon-frame walls. Balloon-frame construction has an open wall cavity from the first floor to the roof and often results in devastating fire loss due to the unrestricted travel of fire in the walls. The fire started on the outside of the residence and traveled into the laundry room after burning through the dryer vent. On the exterior of the residence, the fire had burned up the exterior wall and to the soffit. The quick notification, as a result of working smoke alarms, significantly reduced the fire damage to the residence. Without working smoke alarms, this fire could have resulted in a total loss of the structure and possible injuries or fatalities for the occupant.

The 2022 national estimates for residential building smoking fires and losses show that there were: 8,600 fires, 295 deaths, 700 injuries and $525,700,000 in dollar loss.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, Nearly three out of five (59%) home fire deaths were caused by fires in properties with no smoke alarms (43%) or smoke alarms that failed to operate (16%).

Smoke alarms are required to be located on each level of the home, in all sleeping rooms and outside the door to sleeping rooms. Carbon monoxide detectors are required on each level of a home. Smoke alarm should be tested monthly using the test button on the front of the alarm.

People should contact their local fire department for more information on smoke alarms and placement.

Joshua Shean is the Fire Prevention Division deputy chief at the Brunswick Fire Department.