Cortland firefighters say a smoke detector — which they installed several years ago — helped limit damage Wednesday to a home on Cowance Street in the city.
Firefighters were called about 6:48 a.m. to 3 Cowance St. for a basement fire. When they arrived three minutes later, they found light smoke coming from the roof of the two-story, single-family home.
Firefighters entered the front door and went to the basement, where they said they fuond heavy smoke and heat at the basement door.
They entered and doused a fire in the furnace while a second crew searched the rest of the building. After the fire was out, firefighters ventilated the building and checked for hazardous gases.
Fire investigators ruled the cause accidental, the result of a component failure in the furnace.
“The early detection capability of the properly installed and strategically located smoke detectors was a pivotal factor in the successful outcome of this alarm,” Deputy Chief Derek M. Reynolds said in a release. “A few years ago, the city of Cortland Fire Department installed multiple smoke detectors in the home, a decision that proved life-saving in this incident.”
No injuries were reported.
