Home ablaze, family’s smoke detector did not work. Dog saves their lives.

A North Fort Myers dog gave her life to save her family. The family of four living at the home on fire said they never heard the smoke alarm, but did hear their dog barking and escaped.

“Animals are wonderful,” said Karen Hurley, neighbor. “No matter what, they will always stick by you and alert you to anything.”

Hurley is a long time Island Vista Estates neighbor. She told WINK News the fire is a painful reminder and expressed sincere sorrow to the family for who lost their beloved pet.

“Our main concern is that a smoke detector didn’t go off,” said Christi Kulwicki, a North Fort Myers public education officer. “Whether they were there or not, they did not hear a smoke alarm.”

They want to use what happened here to remind everyone to check their smoke alarms regularly. Kulwicki advises checking the batteries at least once a month. If they are not working, then replace them.

Most fire departments recommend changing the batteries when adjusting clocks for time changes.

Kulwicki also said one thing many forget. Smoke detectors should be replaced every 10 years. It might be a good idea to double-check that your smoke detector is not out of date.