The death of a Villager after a blaze erupted in a home serves as a grim reminder of the need for an escape plan in the event of a fire.
Brigette Brown Fleetwood died as a result of the house fire which broke out Monday afternoon at 2328 Due West Drive in the Village of Lynnhaven.
The Villages Public Safety Department had an incredible response time of just 3 minutes and 37 seconds. Firefighters quickly rescued Fleetwood from the burning home, but she was critically injured and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Tragically, she died on Christmas Day.
The State Fire Marshal has been called in to investigate the incident, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation. Witnesses described it as an “explosion.”
The National Fire Protection Association urges homeowners to have a plan in place should a fire break out. The NFPA offers these tips:
- Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors. Also, mark the location of each smoke alarm.
- A closed door may slow the spread of smoke, heat and fire. Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home.
- When you walk through your plan, check to make sure the escape routes are clear and doors and windows can be opened easily.
- Choose an outside meeting place (i.e. neighbor’s house, a light post, mailbox, or stop sign) a safe distance in front of your home where everyone can meet after they’ve escaped. Make sure to mark the location of the meeting place on your escape plan.
- Go outside to see if your street number is clearly visible from the road.
- If there are family members with mobility limitations, make sure that someone is assigned to assist them in the fire drill and in the event of an emergency. Assign a backup person too, in case the designee is not home during the emergency
- Tell guests or visitors to your home about your escape plan. When staying overnight at other people’s homes, ask about their escape plan. If they don’t have a plan in place, offer to help them make one.
- Be fully prepared for a real fire: when a smoke alarm sounds, get out immediately.
- Once you’re out, stay out. Under no circumstances should you ever go back into a burning building. If someone is missing, inform the fire department dispatcher when you call. Firefighters have the skills and equipment to perform rescues.
