Fire chief promotes smoke detectors after Friday fire

Published 10:11 am Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Austin’s fire chief is saying a fire last Friday morning is a good reminder of the importance of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

The Austin Fire Department responded to a fire at about 4:57 a.m. on the 1000 block of Seventh Avenue Northwest.

A fire had started in a house, but Chief Jim McCoy said the resident had no working smoke detectors and was woken up by a barking dog.

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The homeowner and pets got outside without injury.

McCoy said the fire was likely electrical and the flames got into the walls. Though he didn’t have a cost estimate for the damage, McCoy said the home is likely repairable.

McCoy said such situations serve as a reminder about the need for smoke detectors. He said both are even more important as temperatures get colder and heating units are used.