Smoke Alarm Saves Brighton Township Trio From Fire

The Brighton Area Fire Department responded to a fast moving, aggressive house fire at 6:16 a.m. Tuesday morning on Ridgefield Circle in Brighton Township, according to Brighton Fire Chief Mike O'Brian.

The fire was located in the basement of the home, O'Brian said. The homeowner was able to get himself, his wife and his wife's caretaker outside before the fire department arrived after being awakened by smoke alarms.

"Crews made an aggressive interior attack on the interior structure and were able to put the fire out," O'Brian said. "The exterior of the house is pretty good. There was heavy fire damage within the basement and heavy smoke damage throughout the house."

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but O'Brian said it looks accidental in nature.

O'Brian said the smoke alarms saved the residents' lives.

The Brighton Area Fire Authority has been actively campaigning to ensure there is at least one working smoke detector in every home in Brighton, Brighton Township and Genoa Township by providing detectors and installation to residents at no charge.

"Working smoke alarms do save lives," O'Brian said. We know that right now, our experiences are that about 18 percent of homes in our response district don't have working smoke alarms. We're working on trying to make those odds a little better. Obviously, in this case, it just shows why we keep telling people to check their smoke alarms, to have an exit plan, because you just never know when fire can strike."

Residents can schedule an appointment to receive a free smoke detector and installation by calling the Brighton Area Fire Authority at 810-229-6640.