A north Fayette resident was saved early Wednesday morning when a smoke alarm awoke him after his space heater caught fire.

The man’s home, in the Landmark Mobile Home Park, was destroyed but he managed to get out alive, said Capt. Pete Nelms of the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services. No one was injured in the blaze.

After the alarm went off, the man tried to put out the fire himself, Nelms said.

Although his home was destroyed, the victim was able to stay overnight with family members, Nelms said. The blaze caused an estimated $65,000 in damage.

Firefighters worked to protect both adjacent homes, but one of them had minor damage including melted siding, cracked windows and melted mini-blinds.

The fire was an excellent example of how smoke detectors, with fresh batteries, can save lives, Nelms said.

Smoke detector usage was one of the key components in a program the fire department used to help prevent fires. The program focused on areas of the community at greater risk of injury or death due to fires, which includes the county’s manufactured home communities, Nelms said.

Firefighters went door to door checking to make sure homes had working smoke detectors, and if they didn’t, one was provided free of charge.

“Our goal is to prevent fires,” Nelms said.

The general recommendation is that smoke detector batteries should be changed twice a year, specifically when the time changes in the spring and fall.

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