A Brooksville couple escaped unharmed after a smoke detector warned them that fire was about to consume their home.
According to the Hernando County Fire and Emergency Services (HCFES), just after 12:30 p.m., on Sept. 5, crews responded to a fire at a single-story wood frame home in the 9000 block of Sikes Cow Pen Road in Brooksville. The fire was reported by an occupant of the home who had been awakened by the sound of a smoke detector, and who had subsequently discovered a large blaze in the living of the residence.
At the scene, crews reported heavy smoke and fire. About 42 minutes later they had extinguished the blaze but declared the home a total loss shortly after 1 a.m.
The couple was unharmed, but displaced by the fire.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the incident.
Meanwhile the HCFES is reminding residents of the importance of having working smoke detectors in their homes.
“HCFES would like to remind the community that smoke detectors save lives by alerting occupants,” the agency said in a written statement. “It is important to change the batteries twice a year.”
