Firefighters offer safety tips after candle-sparked blaze

After a mobile home fire sparked by an unattended candle in a bedroom last week, Columbus Fire Department is stressing safety tips to protect your family and property.

No one was injured in the fire in the Candlelight Mobile Home Park on Wednesday and a woman with seven children under the age of 9 in the home was able to evacuate them all. But firefighters report that no smoke alarms alerted the resident to the danger and at least one had been knocked down in the bedroom hallway and had not been replaced.

Firefighters say that working smoke alarms save lives. A working smoke alarm allows the precious time needed to escape the deadly smoke and heat conditions created in residential fires. The Columbus Fire Department provides no-cost smoke alarm installations for Columbus residents in need of working smoke alarms.

The department is also stressing that open flames and supplemental heat sources need to be monitored at all times. Candles should have at least 12 to 18 inches of space that is free of anything that can burn. A space heater should leave at least three feet free of combustible material.

If you need assistance or more information you can contact the Columbus Fire Department at (812) 376-2769 or visit the Columbus Fire Department website: www.columbus.in.gov/fire