Just before 1 p.m. Saturday, the Anchorage Fire Department responded to a fire at a mobile home off Hoyt Street. Fire Chief Jess Werner said no injuries were reported and everyone made it out safely thanks to a smoke detector alerting people inside.
"We had a good response time to this fire, [the] early call to 911 made all the difference and that had to be related to the use of the smoke detectors," said Werner.
The American Red Cross was at the scene assisting the homeowner. Red Cross officials say in the month of November they responded to eighteen home fires that required aid for the victims. They say that aid comes in the form of a warm meal, clothes, or a place to stay until the home is safe to return to.
"That's a huge increase from especially the summer months," said Laura Spano with the Red Cross, "So we're just urging people to be personally prepared and check smoke detectors to make sure your lives are safe."
The Anchorage Fire Department also warns people to take caution if you have a fresh cut tree in your home for the holidays.
Fire Marshal James Gray said people often overload outlets with plugs from holiday lights and that can be a fire hazard. Gray also said not watering a fresh cut tree often will cause it to dry and faster and become even more flammable.
"Probably the number one lesson I've learned in my twenty years of doing this, is a smoke detector is probably most likely thing to save your life and your families life," said Gray.
AFD said the number one cause of house fires in Alaska is misuse of space heaters in the home. They want to remind people to follow the instructions listed with the item and to take extra caution heating a home during the cold winter months.
Contact Mallory Peebles
