Following an emergency 911 call that described "heavy smoke and flames coming from the second floor" and subsequent rapid response to the 1300 block of Euclid Street by both the Santa Monica Fire and Police Departments, one person and four cats were rescued.
At 1:53pm on Sunday afternoon, emergency responders were dispatched to a residential structure fire at 1317 Euclid Street. According to the SMFD, Engine 4 was the first to arrive on scene and they were able to confine the fire to its point of origin on the balcony and prevented extension into the unit, thus property damage was kept to a minimum.
Within eight minutes all visible fire had been extinguished from a room, however, units remained on scene since potential extension remained a concern.
"Excellent communications from Fire Com and interagency assistance from SMPD in quickly shutting down the street allowed SMFD resources to quickly mitigate the incident," the FD said in a statement, also confirming that the cause is currently under investigation by Fire Prevention and the unit is being assessed by City Building Engineers.
Moreover, one of the Senior Fire Inspectors confirmed that there were functioning smoke alarms inside the apartment and this week happens to be Fire Prevention Week, which runs from October 6 to October 12 and this year’s theme is "Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work For You."
The Santa Monica Fire Department reminds everyone to remember these key smoke alarm safety tips and guidelines:
• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area (such as a hallway) and on each level (including the basement) of the home.
• Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
• Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button.
• Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.
For anyone that needs smoke alarms, the Fire Department welcomes everyone to join them for an Open House at Fire Station 1 on Saturday, October 12, from 11am–1pm. SMFD is partnering with the American Red Cross to offer free smoke alarm installations.
scott.snowden@smdp.com
