Alarm System May Have Saved Man's Life in Pine Street Fire

A Pine Street resident was able to make it to safety after a fire broke out in the attic of his home early Monday morning, thanks to working smoke detectors that were tied to an alarm system that notified the local fire department.

received a call at around 5:15 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 3 from an alarm company reporting a possible fire at 7 Pine St. When firefighters arrived at the scene, they saw smoke coming out of the attic, Fire Chief Paul Buckley said. Firefighters knocked on the front door but received no response, so they broke a window to get into the home, then began advancing a hose through the house and upstairs to the third floor, where the fire had broken out.

That’s when the home's sole occupant was alerted to the problem.

“He finally woke up with all the commotion,” Buckley said.

The homeowners were out of town for the Labor Day weekend but their adult son was at home asleep and hadn’t heard the smoke detectors go off, Buckley said. The man was able to get to safety and was uninjured.

“He was very fortunate,” the fire chief said. “This could have turned into a tragic event.”

The fire is believed to have been started by a small refrigerator located in the finished third floor, Buckley said.  

“The refrigerator burned so hard it burned right through the floor below it, and fire got into the wall behind it as well,” Buckley said.

Firefighters were able to put out the fire soon after arriving on scene.

“Overall, I think it was handled extremely well,” Buckley said.

The fire chief estimated that about $100,000 worth of damage was done to the home but said the actual cost depends on the value of the belongings that were destroyed by fire and smoke. The house is about 10 years old.

While having the right alarm system may have saved the homeowners considerable money—and possibly their son’s life—Buckley said the incident also underlines the importance of just having the basics.

“It’s a great system to have,” he said. “But if nothing else, at least have working smoke detectors.”