Smoke Detectors Saved Howard Family from Fire

Functional smoke detectors are being praised as the reason a family in Howard was able to escape their home late last night when a fire broke out. The fire started at around 11:00 p.m. in a home in the 2500 block of Lavender Lane. Neighbors of the home spotted the flames and warned the family inside. All of the people in the home were able to escape without injury, but at last word, crews were attempting to locate the family cats. Most of the damage was done to the outside of the home, including the roof, and the inside only suffered minimal damage. A representative from the Howard Fire Department said that burn patterns show the fire likely started on the outside of the house and climbed a wall to burn through the underside of the roof. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.