Sounding smoke detectors awoke occupants this morning after a fire occurred in their home in the 1200 block of E. Tucker Street. Two people were transported to a local hospital for further treatment of non-life threatening injuries after they escaped from the burning home. Two other occupants of the house were treated for minor injuries and were released at the scene. Red Cross responded to assist the four displaced occupants.
Fire crews were dispatched 7:38 a.m. and arrived on scene in just under three minutes.
Engine 5 reported heavy fire and smoke showing and initiated an interior attack. Fire crews had difficulty accessing the seat of the fire due to the heavy content load in the house and had to be pulled out of the structure. The fire was knocked down from the outside before crews were able to enter the house and complete extinguishment.
A damage estimate and the cause of the fire are not available at this time.
An adult male occupant told fire crews that he was awakened by the smoke detector going off and he asked his mother if everything was ok. She said replied no, there’s a fire. He went to investigate and began to help his mother and another older adult male get out of the house. He said the conditions deteriorated so quickly and that he had to get the two elderly people and himself out through a window. The fourth occupant escaped through the front door.
This is the third incident this year in which occupants were able to escape from burning homes because they were alerted by smoke detectors.
There have been six fire fatalities in four separate incidents this year in Fort Worth. In those incidents, no working smoke detectors were found in the homes. The same was the case in two fatal fires that occurred late last year.
The fire department urges all residents to have the proper number of working smoke detectors in their homes and will install them free of charge.
