Port Colborne family escapes fire thanks to working smoke alarms

Working smoke alarms helped to save a family of five in Port Colborne.

Fire crews from Port Colborne and a backup tanker from Welland responded to the basement fire on Brookfield road around 9:30 a.m. yesterday morning.

Port Colborne Fire Chief Tom Cartwright tells the Welland Tribune the fire began near a wood burning heater.

While the family did manage to escape, a father and son were treated for smoke inhalation; the father also endured minor injuries to his hands.

Heavy water and smoke damage will keep the family out of their home for some time.

The total damage estimate is still being calculated.