ANKENY – An early morning house fire in Ankeny could have been deadly, but heroic fire alarms armed with working batteries notified them of the danger, facilitating their escape.
This morning at approximately 2:52 AM, the Ankeny Fire Department was dispatched to a house on fire at 3605 NW 19th Street in Ankeny. Initial reports from the homeowner indicated that they awoke to hearing smoke detectors and found a fire in the garage.
The Ankeny Fire Department arrived on scene in just a few minutes and found light smoke coming from the garage of the residence. Crews immediately entered the structure and found heavy smoke and fire contained to the garage. The fire was quickly extinguished and two cats were rescued from the house. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation. No other information is available at this time, except that the fire department definitely attributed smoke detectors to saving the family.
Firefighters reminded residents that smoke alarms play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. With daylight savings approaching, change your batteries and test your detectors to ensure they work properly.