All three Strathroy-Caradoc Fire stations responded to a call of a working fire at a home on Longwoods in Melbourne Monday. Fire Rescue made a forcible entry to the home based on the time of day, being around 5:30pm with a car in the laneway and garage door open. Fire Chief Brent Smith tells myFM that no one from the home was outside so a decision was made to enter and do a primary search for potential victims. Once the primary and secondary searches were cleared, the fire was brought under control and finally extinguished. Damage is estimated to be $300,000.
Chief Smith says there were no working smoke or carbon monoxide alarms present and had this fire taken place later when people would have been asleep it is highly likely the outcome would be different.
Charges are being considered for the missing smoke and CO alarms. Strathroy Caradoc Fire Rescue wants to remind everyone that smoke alarms on every level and outside all sleeping areas as well as CO alarms on every level that sleeping accommodations exist is the law. Origin of the fire has been establish and cause is currently under investigation. All occupants had left the house about 30 minutes prior to a 911 call, there were approximately 35 firefighters at the height of the event