London fire: tragedy prevented by working smoke alarms

I just wanted to share this story because it really demonstrates the importance of the Foundation's work.

A few days ago, at around 10 PM, the smoke alarm went off in my apartment in London. I am living on the 6th floor, and when we opened the door to make our way down the stairs, smoke was quickly rising. We ran down the stairs as quickly as possible, and by the time we got to the first floor, there was so much smoke it was impossible to see or breathe.

Firemen arrived in 5 minutes and put out a kitchen fire in the basement. The good news was that the smoke alarm was extremely effective. It alerted us on the highest floor of the building about a fire in the basement almost immediately. The bad news is that there is no other fire escape except for the regular stairs. There is a way to get out of the bathroom window and onto the roof, but then there are no stairs leading down. I have ordered a ladder from the Foundation.

This experience really hit too close to home for me. Six londoners died in a house fire a few weeks ago. The smoke alarms worked and got everyone out of the building safely. The work we are doing is SO important. Every smoke alarm we provide is a real chance to save a life.

Thank you for your continued support!