EPFD: Install A Smoke Alarm In Your Home

In El Paso this year alone, 10 people have died trying to escape from their burning home.

Their chance of survival could have increased if they had a working smoke alarm in their house.

El Paso Fire Department officials said there have been 1,342 structure fires in the city this year, and on average, two-thirds of those homes and buildings did not have a smoke alarm or the one they had didn’t work.

The “great majority” of those fires were due to electrical problems, fire department spokesman John Concha told ABC-7 over the phone. Those fires sparked when an extension cord overheated or was being misused, or when there was a problem with a fixture in the home, he said.

The fire department wants to remind everyone that extension cords are not meant for 24-hour use, and to ensure they have a working smoke detector.