GF-R: Alarms prevent loss of life, property

Megan Gray Hatfield Register Staff Writer, Gainesville Daily Register, Texas
·2 min read

Jun. 15—Gainesville Fire-Rescue spokeswoman Tamara Grimes-Sieger said smoke alarms save lives and property and two recent fires prove just that.

Two overnight fires on Thursday, June 10, were detected by working smoke alarms — one at Lexington Square Apartments, 2008 N. I-35 Frontage Road, and one at Molded Fiberglass, 3333 N. I-35, Grimes-Sieger said.

At 3:51 a.m. firefighters responded to MFG due to a smoke detector activation. Upon arrival to the fire, smoke was showing from the building, according to information provided by GF-R.

Firefighters entered the structure and found a fire contained to a dumpster. The dumpster was located about 150-200 feet inside of Bay 3, Grimes-Sieger said. Firefighters removed the dumpster from the building and extinguished the fire.

There were no occupants in the building at the time of the fire and no other damage or injuries were reported.

"Major damage to the building was avoided by the smoke detector activation," Grimes-Sieger said. "The building is also protected with a fire suppression system which closely avoided activation due to the quick actions of firefighters extinguishing the fire."

At 1:22 a.m. GF-R responded to a reported structure fire at Lexington Square Apartments in building 3.

A smoke detector activated and alerted a neighbor, who discovered smoke coming from the apartment and called 911, according to a news release from Grimes-Sieger.

Firefighters found the blaze in the living room area of the apartment and quickly put it out, she said.

The resident was not home at the time of the fire, but was displaced. The damage was contained to one apartment in building 3, fire officials said.

Grimes-Sieger said Friday, June 11, that she believed the resident of the apartment had a place to stay for the night.

She also said she didn't have the final damage estimate. However, preliminary estimates show the building damage at $65,000 and contents at $2,500.

There were no reported injuries, Grimes-Sieger said.

"The apartment complex avoided substantially less damage and protected residents from harm due to working smoke alarms," she said. "If you don't have working smoke alarms, please test them and ensure they are working. They save lives and property."

On Monday, June 14, Grimes- Sieger said the cause of both fires were undetermined after investigation.