Saved by the bell

By Bridget Cook
A CRANBOURNE woman believes she is alive today thanks to a smoke alarm which woke her up, when her kitchen went up in flames this week.
Elaine Verity, 56, was woken about 5.30am on Tuesday morning by her smoke alarm.
“I got up and could see smoke coming from under the kitchen door,” she said. “I went around to the other kitchen door and smoke was pouring out from under that as well.” Ms Verity said she ran out into the backyard and yelled for help.
“My neighbours heard my calls and rang the fire brigade for me. I rounded up my dogs and went out the front.”
Ms Verity’s Fairfield Road unit, which she had lived in for 11 years, received extensive smoke damage throughout and the kitchen was completely destroyed by the blaze.
The CFA is currently investigating the cause of the fire.
She said she felt lucky to be alive.
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the working smoke alarm,” she said.
“I just want to stress to other people how important a working smoke alarm is. It saved my life.”
Cranbourne CFA senior station manager Phil Charles said this was the perfect example of how important smoke alarms were in households.
This week the CFA unit had been promoting the ‘Change your clock, change your smoke alarm battery’ initiative, with daylight savings on the weekend.
The CFA and their truck was at Bunnings Warehouse Cranbourne on Saturday, giving local residents important information on installing and maintaining their smoke alarm systems as well as providing general fire safety tips.
Mr Charles said this case helped support the message they were trying to get across.
“This is a great example of how a working smoke alarm can save damage to people’s home and saves lives,” he said.
“Make sure you have a working smoke alarm – this woman’s life was saved because of it.”
Ms Verity, who is on a disability pension, said she was not insured.
“I’m now living in a hotel, and have my dogs in a boarding kennel,” she said. “This is at my own cost.”
Anyone wanting to help her out is asked to contact Ms Verity on 0415 313 284.