LANCASTER, Pa. (WHTM) -
Three people sleeping in a home without a working smoke detector were alerted to a fire early Wednesday when a cat woke up one of the owners, officials said.
The residents safely escaped the burning home in the 100 block of Tracy Berg Road in Manor Township just before 5 a.m., but Duane Hagelgans, fire commissioner of Blue Rock Fire and Rescue, said the fire could have been deadly because of a dead battery in the alarm.
"People need to check their smoke detectors, check their carbon monoxide detectors. This time of the year as it gets colder, your heating systems are in, your house is sealed, the chance for a fire or a problem are so great," Hagelgans said. "A simple $3 battery is the difference between living and dying."
Hagelgans said the fire apparently started in a basement bedroom and spread through the walls to the rest of the house. Investigators did not immediately determine the cause.
The family had nine pets. Two cats died in the fire.
