Why you don't want to get caught without a smoke alarm

(4/29/07 - KTRK/HOUSTON) (KTRK) -- The best defense against getting caught in a house fire is an early warning.

Houston firefighters and volunteers want to make sure people are protected in case of a fire. They were out yesterday in northeast Houston installing smoke detectors free of charge. Firefighters say if a fire starts while you're sleeping, the chances of you waking up are not very good.

"People think I'll smell smoke, I'll wake up, that's not true," said David McElhinny of the Houston Fire Department. "The smoke will put you into a deeper sleep and eventually asphyxiate you."

Firefighters say more than 50% of all deadly residential fires happen in homes where there is no working smoke alarm. The Houston Fire Department plans to install more smoke detectors in June.
(Copyright © 2007, KTRK-TV)

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