Umatilla County Fire District #1 is cautioning residents to check their smoke alarms regularly and keep the batteries in them after a Hermiston resident died Saturday in a residential fire.
Around 9:26 p.m., firefighters were called to a fire on E. Newport Avenue. When they arrived at the scene, flames were coming out of a bedroom window at the rear of the residence.
After the fire was quickly knocked down from the exterior, firefighters moved on to search for the occupant of the home. The occupant was found dead in the bedroom where the fire originated. It was determined the occupant was smoking in bed.
UCFD #1 officials say they found a smoke alarm in the residence with the batteries removed.
UCFD #1 issued the following statement on its Facebook page:
Umatilla County Fire District #1 wants to emphasize that working smoke alarms will provide early notification to occupants that there is a fire. This early notification is also an indication for the occupants to leave the residence immediately, then call 911. Please check your alarms on a regular basis.
Also, if you smoke, please be cautious of your actions. We see many times throughout the year smoking materials that are disposed in household trash and on the ground. Do not use plastic containers to discard your smoking materials into. Empty your collection containers on a regular basis, do not discard packaging or used lighters or other trash in these same containers, this just provides additional fuel that could be ignited. Do not use smoking materials when you are tired or intoxicated.
Fire Standard Compliant cigarettes sold in Oregon do not completely guarantee the cigarette will go out, there is an acceptable failure rate in the product testing that still allows a cigarette to burn completely and still meet the standard. This failure rate is approximately 25%.
