Officials Stress Need to Check Smoke Alarms

It’s a story all too familiar: the smoke alarm that didn’t go off, wasn’t connected.

Although more than 90% of American homes have smoke detectors, the National Fire Safety Council estimates as many as 20% are not working at any given time.

Without a ringing alarm, nighttime fires can easily become deadly, like the one that killed Shawn Silvers, 27, and her two young children in Orange on Friday.

Making sure your smoke detector works may be the difference between life and death, fire officials said.

An estimated 7,000 Americans will die in fires this year between midnight and 7 a.m, said Capt. Steve Ruda of the Los Angeles City Fire Department--nearly all from smoke or noxious gases.

And January is one of the most dangerous months for home fires--made more likely by dried-up Christmas trees, faulty ornamental lighting, discarded wrapping paper and improperly maintained fireplaces. Moreover, cooler temperatures send folks looking for heating sources such as space heaters, which can also mean danger.

A working smoke alarm will double your chances of making it out alive, firefighters said.

“Fire is deadly and kills and there are ways we can prevent or reduce tragedies like the one that happened in the city of Orange,” said Capt. Scott Brown, spokesman for the Orange County Fire Authority. He said the deaths of Silvers and her young son and daughter should be a wake-up call to all families.

Here are some tips:

* Make sure your smoke detector works, check your batteries and at a minimum have one mounted in each hallway of the house as well as the kitchen.

* Plan two ways to exit each room. Fire moves fast--so should you. Put as much distance as possible between you and the fire.

* Practice exit drills.

* During a fire, test doors before opening them. Check to see if they’re hot, or if smoke is seeping in. Open doors slowly but, if smoke rushes in, slam them shut.

* Keep a whistle next to your bed to signal your location to rescuers. Call the fire department and let them know which room you are trapped in, especially in an apartment building.

And most important, said firefighters, remember fire can happen to anyone.

“Most people believe it wouldn’t happen to them,” Brown said. “It happens to another person or another family, but that just isn’t true. Fire continues to be a significant problem in this country.”