NEW ORLEANS — The tragedy that unfolded in Eden Isles, is a painful reminder of just how important smoke detectors are. Officials believe if the family had a working fire alarm, their chances of survival would've been much greater.
Getting a smoke detector in your home is easy and also free.
This is the time of year fire officials worry about because this is typically when the number of house fires goes up.
We are 19 days into 2022, and according to the State Fire Marshal's Office, there have so far been six deadly fires statewide. Two of them happened in the past week in St. Tammany Parish. Ten people, which now include a five and ten-year-old, have died as a result.
In some cases, the deaths are because there's no smoke alarm in the home, or it didn't work. That was the case in Tuesday night's fire that killed a family of four in Slidell. So once again, fire officials are pleading with people to get a working smoke detector in their homes. And they've made it easy.
"The reason why this program is so important is because smoke alarms save lives," said Ashley Rodrigue, the Public Affairs Director at the State Fire Marshal's Office. "And it's proven over and over again they give you critical seconds to make sure you're aware there's a fire emergency in your home and to get out safely."
It's called "Operation Save a Life," where firefighters will go to your home and install a smoke detector at no cost. All you have to do is look up the nearest fire station, you can go in person or call them, and say you'd like a free smoke detector. You can also call or go online to the Louisiana State Fire Marshal's website, click on "Fire is Everyone's Fight," then "Operation Save a Life," and click on "Apply for a Free Smoke Alarm."
And now is the time to ask since they recently got a grant for 17,000 smoke detectors, and are currently distributing them to fire departments all over the state to install.
"It's small and it's very inexpensive, it's $20," Rodrigue said. "But we certainly understand there are families out there who have to prioritize their money differently and that's why this program is in place, these are free, they can be installed in your home for free."
Deadly house fires are tragic and in some cases, preventable. All you have to do is take that one simple step, one that could mean the difference between life or death.
It's best to have a smoke alarm in every bedroom and on every floor. However, just having one working detector can help save your life since it can sense a problem before we see or smell it. Most importantly, all smoke alarms must be switched out every ten years.