photo by: Journal-World File Photo

This Journal-World file photo shows Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical personnel responding to a fire in October 2019.

Three family members made it out of their home safely Wednesday morning and the home was saved thanks to working smoke detectors, according to Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical.

Residents of a home in the 1000 block of Summerfield Way, which is in a neighborhood near Harvard Drive and Congressional Way in west Lawrence, were awakened by smoke alarms, according to a news release from Tom Fagan, LDCFM division chief of administration. They evacuated quickly and reported no injuries.

A firetruck arrived at 7:34 a.m.; firefighters entered the house, located a fire in a wall near the fireplace and quickly extinguished it by opening the wall and checking for flame extensions into other areas of the home, according to the release.

The fire was under investigation as of Wednesday morning, and a damage estimate was not yet available. The residents were not displaced by the fire, Fagan said.

“This incident is an excellent example of how smoke alarms save lives and property,” Fagan wrote in the release. “In this case, a family of three was alerted to a fire, was able to get out safely, and their home was saved by quickly controlling the fire. The fire department cannot remove the destruction caused by fire; firefighters can only stop the loss when they arrive.”

LDCFM encourages area residents to ensure they have working smoke alarms, and a plan for what to do when they go off.

If anyone has questions about smoke alarms or emergency exit plans, “please contact our department – we will help you become more prepared,” Fagan wrote in the release.

LDCFM can be reached on its administrative line at 785-830-7000.