Man dies in Surrey basement fire after smoke alarm disconnected
Basement smoke alarm was disconnected, smoking materials likely cause of fire, officials say
First responders were unable to revive a man found unresponsive in a burning Surrey basement suite Friday night.
Surrey Battalion Chief Rich Ellis said crews were told there was a possibility that someone was still inside the suite, as they approached the 15600 block of 82 Avenue around 12:30 a.m. PT Saturday.
"They did go in and they did find one person inside. They pulled him out and started resuscitation on him," said Ellis. "All we know at this point is he was unresponsive when we took him out of the house."
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Unfortunately, efforts to save the 50-year-old man were unsuccessful.
In a news release later in the day, Surrey fire officials said the smoke alarm in the basement suite had been disconnected. It was found on top of the refrigerator.
"Tragically this death may have been preventable," said Assistant Fire Chief Steve Robinson. "Working smoke alarms increase your chance of survival in a fire by 74 per cent.
Robinson said the fire was likely caused by the man's"smoking materials."
Clarifications
- An earlier version of this story quoted the fire department saying the smoke alarms in the home were working. However, the assistant fire chief later revealed the smoke alarm in the basement had been disconnected.Jul 05, 2015 3:25 PM PT