Working smoke alarms are being credited with providing two families the time they needed to escape a fire in St. Thomas.
Firefighters were called to the blaze that was burning two homes near the corner of Manitoba and Kains streets around 3:30 a.m.
"Crews arrived to find fire on the exterior of one home and encroaching on the neighbours house, in both homes the fire had gotten into the roof and attic space," said Chief Fire Prevention Officer Kim Destun. "A full callback was initiated calling in all off duty personnel to fight the fire."
An aerial truck was also used to attack the fire from above. Homes on the street are located relatively close so there was concern the fire could spread even further.
The families that reside in the two homes were able to get out without injury.
"Both homes had working smoke alarms which gave both families the time they needed to escape safely," said Destun. "All family pets including three cats and a dog escaped safely."
An early estimate puts the damage from the fire at $900,000.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Destun added.
