Smoke alarms help save family’s life in downtown fire

Columbus firefighters say that a working smoke alarm saved a family in an early morning fire Sunday on Hutchins Avenue.

The resident of the rental home in the 600 block of Hutchins Avenue was woken by the smoke alarm and discovered flames coming from the son’s bedroom. She gathered her 13-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter and they escaped the burning building and called 9-1-1. Firefighters arrived to fight the fire in the rear bedroom from the outside. Once that was knocked down and firefighters moved inside, they discovered more flames in a bathroom.

No one was injured. The damage to the bathroom and bedroom was extensive and firefighters estimate damages at about $40,000. The resident and her family have been displaced and made arrangements for temporary lodgings. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Capt. Mike Wilson, spokesman for the Columbus Fire Department, stressed the importance of having working smoke alarms.