Wednesday, January 14, 2004
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Wednesday, January 14, 2004 |
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Absence of smoke alarm may have been fatal By JOHN MUNFORD The woman killed in a fire at her Peachtree City condominium early Friday morning likely didn’t have a smoke detector to alert her to the blaze, according to fire officials. Investigators were unable to find evidence that Kristina Bunch, 32, had a working smoke detector in her residence, where the fire started, said John Oxendine, the state insurance and fire safety commissioner. Even a 10-second warning might have saved Bunch’s life Bunch’s 4-year-old son, who lived with her, avoided the same fate because the child was away, spending the night with his father, according to officials. Two of the three families who evacuated safely from the fire were alerted by smoke alarms, officials said. The devices are hailed for their ability to detect smoke and emit a high-pitched alarm to warn occupants of a structure. Peachtree City Fire Chief Stony Lohr said each home should have at least two working smoke detectors, and ideally more, depending on the layout of the home. When placing smoke detectors, the idea is to put them between the bedrooms and the source of possible ignition like, for example, a kitchen. Avoid putting smoke detectors in kitchens, because that will result in “false” alarms from normal smoke coming from food cooking on the stove, Lohr said. Also avoid putting them near areas where steam will hit the detector, such as showers, the chief added. Battery-powered smoke detectors should get fresh batteries every six months, ideally in the spring and fall when the time changes. Those detectors should also be replaced every five years, because after that they begin to lose their effectiveness, Lohr said. Oxendine said his office will provide a smoke detector to any Georgia resident who is unable to purchase one. For more information, call 404-656-2115.
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