Smoke detectors saved the day again. Their shrill sound woke a family of four on Iroquois Court just before 2 a.m. on a Saturday, according to Suffern Fire Chief Mike Stark. With fire and heavy smoke pouring from the basement, the family of two adults and two children safely evacuated the townhouse with their two cats.
An estimated 72 volunteer firefighters responded to the early-morning fire — 60 from Suffern and 12 from Tallman, who have a mutual aid agreement. Crews quickly pulled a line into the basement and extinguished the fire, which Stark believed had likely been smoldering inside a dryer or its lint duct.
Stark used the incident to remind residents to keep their dryers clear of lint and to make sure they have working smoke detectors, noting that in some past fires without working detectors, the outcome was far more tragic. A working smoke detector, he said, costs $15 to $20 — cheap insurance that gives families the early warning they need to get out safely and call 911.