Week Brothers Killed In House Fire Ends With Citywide Smoke Detector Sweep
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A week that saw three people killed in house fires in Baltimore ends with an effort to save the next life.
Alex DeMetrick has more on a citywide smoke detector sweep.
The epicenter of this outreach was the home where two brothers lost their lives.
The trucks rolled onto North Bruce Street. The chief gave the orders.
"Go out and knock on as many doors as we can. Try to install as many smoke detectors as we can. Try to educate as many people as we can," said Chief Niles Ford, Baltimore City Fire Department.
It's the aftermath of two fires. On Dulaney Street, a man was killed Wednesday morning. And last Monday, the fire on North Bruce Street trapped three children inside.
Eight-year-old Decerio Coley managed to break an upstairs window and drop his 4-year-old sister to safety. Going back after his 6-year-old brother ended in both their lives being lost.
On Friday evening, family, friends and neighbors remembered the boys. Their sister was uninjured in the ordeal.
"They loved everybody and especially their sister," said Rokea McCullough, victims' mother.
More than just homes on Bruce Street were checked.
"It's not just here. It's locations all throughout the city," said Ford.
The effort is putting a lot of city firefighters on foot, until the next call for help.
According to the Baltimore Fire Department, the home where the children were trapped did have working smoke detectors. A fire in a stairway quickly sealed them off from help.
It doesn't take a firefighter knocking on your door to get help with a smoke detector. City residents can call 311 at any time, and within two hours, a smoke detector will be installed.
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