A working smoke detector likely made all the difference in the outcome of an accidental cooking fire early Thursday in an apartment at 410 W. Vernon Ave.
Normal Fire Department spokesperson Matt Swaney said firefighters responded to the lower-level apartment around 3 a.m. and found heavy smoke conditions. A skillet of oil on the kitchen stove had ignited, setting the rest of the kitchen on fire. The apartment was heavily damaged.
Swaney said alarms from the smoke detector alerted the apartment resident — who was sleeping — to the fire and allowed for escape. Firefighters were able to control the fire within 15 minutes, though additional work continued for about an hour.
“This is a prime example of smoke alarms waking up the occupant and giving them enough time to escape," Swaney said in a statement. "With heavy smoke from a growing fire in the apartment, we were minutes away from a different outcome had the alarms not sounded.
“Obviously, the toxic smoke was enough to cause the near-death of a pet, so if the smoke alarms had not worked, the tenant may have been overcome by the smoke which could have led to a deadly outcome.”
While searching for anyone else who may have been in the apartment, firefighters found an unconscious cat. They used a pet oxygen mask and compressions to revive the cat that belonged to the apartment tenant.
No other injuries were reported.
Young America Realty is working with the tenant to find alternative housing.
