DUNMORE - It is an elementary truth, but one Assistant Chief Tom G. Taylor Jr. of Wilson Fire Company 1 in Peckville knows bears repeating from time to time: Smoke detectors save lives.
On Thursday, Assistant Chief Taylor joined state police Trooper Connie Devens in reminding the public of the importance of fire safety after what has been an usually deadly winter.
So far in 2013, fires in the four-county area covered by Dunmore-based Troop R have claimed five lives - three in Lackawanna County and two in Pike County.
"In the majority of them, we found there were no working smoke detectors," Trooper Devens said. "Either the batteries had been removed or there were no smoke detectors at all."
Assistant Chief Taylor said homeowners and renters should have at least one smoke detector on every level of their residence and certainly outside every sleeping area. Just as important is keeping fresh batteries in the detectors so that they work when they are needed, he said.
People should keep debris and other combustible materials away from furnaces and wood-burning stoves, as well as electric or kerosene heaters, to lessen the chance of a fire, he said.
Maintenance is also essential, Assistant Chief Taylor said.
"No matter what type of furnace you have, it should have yearly maintenance. Woodburner chimneys should be cleaned at least twice a year," he said.
Trooper Devens said two of the fatal fires have been linked to improperly installed or improperly maintained woodburners.
"We are finding that people are turning to woodburners and installing them themselves," she said. "That is one of the reasons we may have been having some issues."
Contact the writer; dsingleton@timesshamrock.com