Early Warning Gets Family Out of Burning Home Before Injuries

No one was injured Thursday morning in a house fire in Orland Hills, where a family was alerted by smoke detectors before anyone was hurt.

The was called about a fire at 16835 Highview Ave. in Orland Hills around 4 a.m. The three people living in the house were woken by smoke detectors and left the house in time for firefighters to arrive, according to a release from the fire district.

“Knowing that all occupants are out of a burning building is key information enabling responders to change priorities, focusing on fire extinguishment and saving property,” Acting Orland Fire Chief Raymond Kay said in the release.

Firefighters found heavy smoke coming from near one of the bedrooms in the rear of the house. The fire was knocked out in about 10 minutes after fire personnel arrived, the district said. The cause was not determined but is under investigation, according to the release.

“There is no doubt that early identification of smoke and early notification of the sleeping residents by smoke detectors allowed self rescue, saving three lives,” Kay said in the release. “The greatest majority of fire fatalities are the result of smoke inhalation regardless of the size of the fire.” 

Read on for more stories about the Orland Fire Protection District.

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