Montgomery County fire officials are urging families to take steps to protect elderly residents after a woman died trying to escape her burning home Thursday morning. Residents in the 14000 block of Cedar Lane Loop in Willis called 911 to report a fire at a home in their neighborhood. PROTECT PETS: What pet owners should […]
Montgomery County fire officials are urging families to take steps to protect elderly residents after a woman died trying to escape her burning home Thursday morning.
Residents in the 14000 block of Cedar Lane Loop in Willis called 911 to report a fire at a home in their neighborhood.
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Once on scene, firefighters with the Montgomery County ESD 1 Fire Department worked to bring the flames under control before finding the 78-year-old woman dead in the kitchen in the rear of the home, according to information from the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office.
Investigators said the initial autopsy confirmed the woman had significant smoke inhalation and likely died while trying to get out of the burning home. The woman has not yet been identified.
According to information from the U.S. Fire Administration and National Council on Aging, residents 65 and older are four times more likely to die in a home fire than the general population with about 930 deaths annually.
“Our most vulnerable residents grew up in an era where homes were not equipped with smoke alarms and many still live in older homes that don’t have any alarms or the alarms no longer function due to missing batteries or malfunction,” according to a news release from the fire marshal’s office.
Officials said ensuring smoke detectors are working can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by 60%.…Read more by Catherine Dominguez