Two seniors and their dog escaped after their house went up in flames early Wednesday morning, and Central Elgin fire Chief Chris McDonough credits the couple’s working smoke alarms with saving their lives.
“The outcome could have been a lot different if (the smoke alarms) weren’t there,” McDonough said.
The Central Elgin fire department was called to the home on Centennial Avenue just outside St. Thomas at about 3:45 a.m. The St. Thomas fire department responded as well and the scene was cleared around 11 a.m.
McDonough said there was no damage to adjacent properties but the estimated damage is valued at about $350,000. The couple does have home insurance.
McDonough said they believe the cause of the fire is electrical but it has not been confirmed.
“They’re in shock,” said a woman who said the couple was her father and step-mother. The daughter declined to identify herself or her parents to maintain the family’s privacy.
“They’re doing good and they’re adjusting,” the daughter said.
The couple who are both in their 70s are being taken care of by family and friends who have rallied around them in a time of tragedy.
An unidentified man in a truck was driving by the home and noticed the fire. He started honking his horn repeatedly, the daughter said.
The truck driver assisted the couple, who have mobility issues, get into his vehicle.
“They don’t know who he was but they sure are appreciative,” she said.
Link to original article in St. Thomas Times-Journal: Seniors escape blaze that destroyed their home