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House fire nearly kills triplets--no smoke alarms
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You can spend a lot or a little on a smoke
alarm. This First Alert wireless smoke and fire
detector costs $89.88 on Walmart.com. The
cheaper ones cost $20 or less.
An electrical fire broke out last week in a two-story family home in Bethesda. A set of triplets remains in critical condition today. There were no functioning smoke detectors in the house.
According to The Washington Post, the three two-year-old boys were upstairs napping in their cribs when the fire broke out. The father and the nanny (both of whom were at home) did not immediately understand what was going on. In fact, they went outside first to see where the smoke was coming form. By the time the dad realized that his children were in danger, the flames were so hot and the smoke so blinding that he could not reach them.
When the fire trucks arrived, three fire fighters raced inside to find the boys. All three children had stopped breathing by the time the fire fighters got them outside. They remain hospitalized and in critical condition today. Two fire fighters and the father were also injured while trying to rescue the triplets.
Fire fighters say there was no evidence of smoke alarms in the house. A representative of the family clarifies that there were smoke alarms, but the family was in the process of upgrading to wireless smoke detectors when the fire occurred. For whatever reason, it appears that no alarm warned the father that he had precious few minutes to save his kids.
No matter how safe we think we can keep our children, there is no substitute for a working smoke alarm. The US Fire Administration suggests that you install at least one on every level of your home, including the basement. They are cheap and easy to install—battery-powered smoke alarms require nothing more than a screwdriver and a battery. Amazing how five minutes of effort now can save your entire family later.
For more info:
The Washington Post: Outpouring of Support for Family of Triplets
US Fire Administration: Smoke Alarms
Hanford Fire Department: Fire and Life Safety Information
The Washington Post: Outpouring of Support for Family of Triplets
US Fire Administration: Smoke Alarms
Hanford Fire Department: Fire and Life Safety Information
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