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Springfield woman credits smoke detector for saving her and five children from house fire

SPRINGFIELD — A Springfield woman is hugging her five children a little tighter after barely escaping when smoke and flames took over their home on Morgan Street.  

Charlesha Smith told News Center 7′s Jenna Lawson that it was only thanks to a working smoke detector that she lived to tell about it.

She said she was working from home two weeks ago, her kids were in their rooms and everyone had their doors closed.

An electrical outlet caught on fire in their living room, and the downstairs was quickly filling with smoke.

Smith said she wrangled up her kids and got out of the house as quickly as possible. The next thing she remembers is looking at her house fully engulfed in flames.

Smith’s home is a total loss, and there was very little inside that was salvageable – but she considers herself fortunate.

“Counting the kids over and over. I counted to five, like 20 times to make sure all the kids had made it out,” she said.

Springfield Fire Rescue Division Assistant Chief Matt Smith said 30 years ago, you would have up to 17 minutes before the items in your house started to burn. Because components of common household items have changed since then – you now have about three minutes.

Once those objects start to burn, aside from catching other things on fire, they can release toxins into the air that can harm people in the house if they don’t get out fast enough.

Asst. Chief Smith said Charlesha and her family acted quickly and appropriately, but the situation also highlights the need for working smoke detectors in homes.

Without them, this fire could’ve turned into a tragedy.

“Our arriving guys...five kids and her... we would’ve done everything to rescue them,” he said. “But that’s a very difficult and dangerous operation and how it would’ve played out -- we can’t predict.”

Asst. Chief Smith recommends if your smoke detector uses a 9-volt battery, change them every time you change your clock forward or backward. Other batteries can last up to 10 years.

He said it’s also good to have detectors in every room if possible, but if not – at least one on every floor.

Charlesha Smith and her family are living proof of how valuable the little devices can be.

“Just make sure your fire detectors are working,” she said. “That’s the only thing that saved us.”

Many fire departments will also come to your home if you need help installing smoke detectors.

Jenna Lawson

Jenna Lawson

I grew up in Springfield and I'm a big fan of all things Springfield, including Schuler's & the Clark County Fair. A career in journalism never really was a serious thought until the end of high school. You just have epiphanies sometimes, and that's the only way I can explain why I got into this line of work – but I'm happier for it!

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