Smoke alarms credited after Mount Prospect family escapes fire

Authorities are crediting smoke alarms for alerting a Mount Prospect family to a fire in their home over the weekend in time for them to escape unharmed.

Mount Prospect firefighters called to the residence on the 200 block of West Sunset Road at about 11:28 p.m. Saturday arrived to find heavy smoke coming from the basement of the single-family home. The fire was brought under control in approximately 15 minutes, officials said.

The occupants were asleep when the fire occurred but were awakened by the sound of working smoke alarms. The cause of the fire appears to be a malfunction of electrical equipment, according to the Mount Prospect Fire Department. The damage was estimated at $40,000 with an estimated property value saved of over $250,000.

Fire Chief Brian Lambel urges all residents to ensure they have working smoke alarms in their home and to practice their home fire escape plans. The fire department will assist residents that are unable to install or test their smoke alarms. For more information call (847) 818-5253.