By Staff
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On April 28 at 11:38 p.m., a 911 call came in to Escambia County, Fla. dispatch reporting a fire in the 3600 block of Muldoon Road in Bellview. Firefighters from Bellview, Myrtle Grove, Brent and the Navy responded. Upon arrival, they found the fire in the kitchen and heavy smoke throughout the mobile home. Initiating a quick attack, some firefighters kept the fire from spreading further into the home, while others performed a search. The search found a female occupant unconscious in the doorway of the bedroom. Firefighters brought her outside and determined that she was in cardiac arrest. CPR was initiated and Escambia County Emergency Medical Services transported her to Baptist Hospital where she was pronounced dead. The fire is currently under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal's office. The name of the victim is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. Two smoke alarms were present in the home, however, when firefighters arrived, they did not hear either of them working.
"The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. when most families are sleeping," Escambia County Fire Chief Ken Perkins said. "Smoke alarm maintenance is a simple, effective way to reduce home fire deaths. Children and senior citizens are most at risk, and a working smoke alarm can give them the extra seconds they need to get out safely. In fact, working smoke alarms nearly cut in half the risk of dying in a home fire."
Escambia County Fire Rescue would like to remind residents that there are preventative measures that can be taken to greatly increase survival rates. The following simple fire safety tips can increase survival rates dramatically:
Fire Safety Life Saving Tips:
Residents can call 595-HERO for free home inspections and information about the smoke detector program.
Escambia County Fire~Rescue encourages everyone to follow these safety tips. If you have additional questions regarding other fire safety issues, please contact Lt. Daniel Akerman at (850) 475-5530 or visit our web site at www.myescambia.com.