‘Smoke detectors are so so important’

09 January 2018

A Plymouth landlord has urged people to test their smoke alarms after a fire broke out in the kitchen area of a takeaway in the building he owns, reports the Herald.

Landlord Phillip Wood, who also lives in the building, was in the property at the time a fire broke out in the downstairs of Aladdin Indian Takeaway.

The restaurant part of the building was badly damaged by smoke and fire/

Mr Wood said that nobody was in the takeaway at the time of the incident and no one was hurt.

Three tenants were in the property at the time and were evacuated from the building.

The landlord stressed how important it is that fire alarms are in working order and said it "could have been a lot worse" if his alarm did not sound.

He said: "You have to get the fire alarm system checked every year, if it wasn't for that it could have been a lot worse.

"I've got other properties in Plymouth where tenants take the batteries out of smoke alarms because they want to use them for the TV remote control. They're putting their life at risk because they're taking out a battery that could possibly save a life.

"I just can't understand for the sake of me why people do it, but they do."

He added: "Smoke detectors are so, so important, people don't realise just how important they are, if it wasn't for the fire alarm system who knows how far that fire could have gone."

A spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue said: “On arrival the officer in charge confirmed that there was a fire at this location.

“The crews got to work to extinguish the fire with the use of two breathing apparatus, one hose reel jet, thermal imaging camera and positive pressure ventilation.”

Original source

The Herald