Martinez family escapes fire that destroys home
MARTINEZ — an early-morning fire destroyed a two-story single-family home in Martinez Tuesday, but all five family members got out safely thanks to the smoke alarms whose batteries they had bee replaced the night before, according to the Contra Costa County fire Protection District.
Firefighters arrived at the home on the 900 block of Walnut Street at about 4 a.m. to find it engulfed in flames, the fire department said. It took 17 firefighters from four engines and one ladder truck 70 minutes to get the fire under control.
Authorities said they believe the fire was caused when embers or heat from the home’s stove exhaust system ignited some combustible material outside the structure.
Officials declared the home a total loss, with damage estimated at $350,000.
But before firefighters even got to the scene, the family – four adults and one juvenile – were awakened by the smoke alarms and were able to get out. One person was taken to a hospital as a precaution for smoke inhalation.
One of the occupants credited the smoke alarms for getting him and his family out safely. He had just changed the batteries just the night before, and without them, his family might not have escaped in time.
Fire Marshal Lewis Broschard said batteries should be changed every six months and alarms tested every month.
The Red Cross is helping the family with temporary housing.
This article appeared on page C – 5 of the San Francisco Chronicle
