LAPEER, Mich. – Officials in Lapeer County are reminding residents of the importance of smoke alarms following an apartment fire.
Background: Fire at Lapeer apartment complex prompted third alarm response
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According to the authorities, smoke alarms in the unit where the fire started had been taken down and placed on a table with their batteries removed.
The fire happened Thursday, Jan. 2. Authorities said the fire was exacerbated by hoarding conditions in the originating apartment.
Without functioning smoke alarms, the apartment’s occupants received no early warning of the fire, delaying their escape and allowing it to grow unchecked.
All 17 residents were evacuated. Two people were hospitalized, but they are expected to survive.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
More than half of Michigan’s fatal fires occur in residences without functioning smoke alarms. According to the National Fire Protection Association, having a functional smoke alarm reduces the risk of death in a fire by 54%.
Experts recommend installing at least one smoke detector be installed per floor -- including the basement --and testing them every month.
Related: Detroit Fire Department gives tips to prevent house fires
