Smoke detector saves woman, boyfriend from fire



A house burned in a fire early Wednesday morning on Milwaukee's south side, but two lives were saved, thanks to a smoke detector. Thursday, firefighters went door-to-door on the block to make sure others in the area had installed and working smoke detectors.

Rosanne Chandler was fast asleep Tuesday night, when her house caught fire. If it weren't for her boyfriend waking to the sound of the smoke alarm, it could have been a tragedy. "If the smoke detector hadn't gone off, we probably would have burned down with the house," Chandler said.

Chandler is recovering from smoke inhalation and will be discharged from the hospital Thursday night. She says she's thankful she was able to escape with her life, and now, she's hoping others will learn from what happened to her home. Firefighters installed smoke detectors on the spot Thursday to any home in the area without one.

"It's all free of charge and it's just a way for us to reach out and make sure that the community is protected," one firefighter said.