Smoke detector saves Lufkin woman, 2 grandkids from destructive house fire

LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) - A Lufkin woman and her two grandchildren escaped a fire that claimed their home, all thanks to their smoke detector.

“We lost everything. Everything in the house was destroyed. We lost everything, but we didn’t lose no life and we thank God for that,” homeowner Esther said.

Esther, who was in the house when the fire started said she was lying down in the living room with her three-year-old grandchild, and her eight-year-old grandchild was in his bedroom when she heard the smoke alarms go off.

“It was just beeping, beeping, beeping and I got up and by the time I got to the hallway, the house was full of smoke,” she said.

Lufkin Fire Chief, Jesse Moody said the smoke detectors helped wake them up.

“Smoke detectors do save lives, especially if you check the batteries and change the batteries twice a year. Each time if the time changes, change your batteries in your smoke detectors,” he said.

Moody said there was damage done throughout the entire home.

“An overloaded electrical circuit in the garage were charging a battery or something in the garage, had too many things plugged into one outlet,” said Moody.

Esther said the red cross helped get her a hotel room.

“But I need an apartment, or house and need clothes to wear to church and different things like that,” she said.

The fire did not reach any homes nearby.

Moody said to make sure your smoke detectors have working batteries and to avoid overload electrical outlets.

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