ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, February 12, 1996 TAG: 9602120055
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LISA K. GARCIA
If it had not been for a smoke detector, a woman and her 10-year-old granddaughter would not have made it out of their burning duplex.
District Fire Chief Garry Basham said firefighters arrived at 2822 Bluestone Road N.E. about 9:15 p.m. Sunday and saw flames shooting out of a second-story window.
The original call had said people were trapped inside, Basham said. However, the woman and her granddaughter got out safely on their own before rescue workers arrived.
Basham said the woman told him it was the smoke detector that alerted her in time.
``Properly functioning smoke detectors do save lives,'' Basham said.
The fire started when the granddaughter was playing with a cigarette lighter, using it to light paper. The fire got out of control and caught the bed on fire, Basham said.
Damage to the duplex was estimated at $5,000, he said.
LENGTH: Short : 28 linesby CNB