March 28--SAN ANGELO, Texas -- San Angelo Fire Investigator Thomas Truett said the cause of an apartment fire last weekend will remain undetermined.
Police helped several people to safety when a fire was reported early Saturday at Creekside Apartments in the 3000 block of Knickerbocker Road.
Officials said the fire started on the ground floor porch ceiling.
The fire alarm failed to go off in at least one of the nearby units.
A woman who identified herself as an assistant manager at Creekside Apartments declined to discuss the fire.
"We don't talk about any of that," she said Tuesday in response to a question about smoke detectors.
Landlords are responsible for installing and maintaining smoke detectors, according to Texas Landlord Tenant Laws, and tenants are supposed to notify landlords when detectors are not working properly.
A landlord is not obligated to provide batteries for a battery-operated smoke alarm after a tenant takes possession if the smoke alarm was in good working order at the time the tenant took possession, according to state law.
"Until you notify apartment management of a problem, how are they going to know if you have a problem?" Fire Marshal Ross Coleman said.
His suggestion: At a minimum, all residents should check their detectors with every time change.
For those who live in a multiunit family area, such as an apartment complex, it's important to check them more frequently, Coleman said.
"That should be more than twice a year," he said, such as once a quarter or even once a month.
Most tenants don't know how old devices are or the last time they were checked. Generally, detectors expire after 10 years, he said.
Copyright 2014 - San Angelo Standard-Times, Texas
