The North Bay Fire Department is looking at careless smoking as the cause of a blaze yesterday afternoon at a home on Gormanville Road.

Chief Jason Whiteley says there were no injuries as people were alerted to it by working smoke alarms.

“The kids were all downstairs and the fire started upstairs in the bedroom. If the smoke alarm hadn’t been working the fire would have gotten a good hold of the house before possible notification and the kids could have been trapped,” he says.

Whiteley says you need a working smoke alarm on every level of your home.

“Especially outside of your bedrooms. As well as Carbon Monoxide Alarms. And you need to check them every month and ensure the batteries are working and having an escape plan as well, ” Whiteley says.

He says an older sibling was babysitting younger siblings and all 4 people plus the family pets were able to self evacuate as they arrived to the residence. No word on damage.

Filed under: fire, working-smoke-alarms