Firefighters respond to sound of smoke alarm, find actual fire



Kenosha firefighters responded to a two story unit Saturday morning, after a neighbor reported hearing the fire alarm going off. When firefighters arrived, they found a woman who says she was activating the alarm, to show her young son how it works. As it turns out, firefighters found a fire on the first floor of the unit! Now, the woman living on the first floor has good reason to be grateful!

Vern and Carole Brdlik live next door, and heard the fire alarm going off Saturday morning. That's when they called firefighters. Vern is a former 911 dispatcher, and said, though he didn't smell any smoke or see fire, his training took over.

"One of our sayings was, 'when in doubt, send 'em out!'" Vern said.

Michelle Gonzales lives in the first floor unit, and says she's thankful for a second chance. Gonzales said she accidentally left a candle burning in her bathroom, when she left home on Friday morning. Neither of her two smoke alarms was fully-functioning.

"I'm grateful that the fire didn't catch into the other rooms. I'm grateful that the tenants upstairs are alive. I'm grateful for my next-door neighbors Vern and Carole for calling the fire department," Gonzales said.

Fire officials say if you live in Kenosha and need smoke detectors, you're encouraged to call 262-653-4410.