Alerted by smoke detectors, Haverhill family escapes blaze
A week after a hero golden-doodle’s bark saved a Haverhill family from a potentially deadly fire, another family awoke in time to rush from their burning home today thanks to a more traditional detection system, fire officials said.
Haverhill firefighters are crediting a Pleasant View Avenue home’s smoke detectors with getting a family of four to safety today after a faulty refrigerator motor sparked a blaze inside their kitchen shortly before 1:30 a.m.
“The husband got up and smelled smoke,” said Deputy Fire Chief William Laliberty. “when he went down to investigate, it was too much to put out himself. Fortunately his brain was working and he got out of the house.”
Grabbing a cell phone as she rushed out, the mother called 9-1-1 as a neighbor huddled the family inside from the sub-freezing temperatures, Laliberty said. Firefighters arrived and contained the blaze to the kitchen, he said.
Laliberty estimated the fire caused $75,000 to $100,000 in damage to the 2 ½ story house, but cost no person their life. He said once the family makes the necessary repairs, they’ll be able to return.
“The smoke detectors actually did their job,” Laliberty said. “They reacted to the alarm and got out of the house.”
Last week, Evelyn Janes credited her family’s 15-month-old puppy, Bear, will getting her family out of their home on Dec. 27 before a fire razed the house. The dog, who the family said rarely barked, made enough noise to wake up the family shortly before 4 a.m., when Janes said she found flames shooting up the wall of her dining room.
