SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio — It's been nearly two months since a fire at the Hidden Cedars Apartments destroyed one of the apartment's buildings and left a resident dead in Springfield Township.
Overall, there have been a total of five apartment fires at the complex since 2000. Springfield Township Fire Battalion Chief, Andrew Sauder explains people who live in apartment complexes can stay safe.
Sauders says a vast majority of fires are accidental and are related to cooking.
Still, apartment residents have to be prepared for all possible causes of fire.
"We want you to be able to go back in your apartment to begin living your life normally again, but that all comes secondary," said Sauders.
He says residents can help prevent the spread of fires by proactively calling 911 when they first hear a fire alarm.
He says if a smoke alarm is going off, there is a reason for it, whether it is chirping from low batteries or alerting you to a potential fire.
Sauders says fires can double in size within seconds.
"That 30 seconds is cut down dramatically, so something that you may put off for 5 to 10 minutes, imagine what it would've been if you would've called 5 minutes ago," said Sauders.
The Hidden Cedars fire of 2012 was determined to be caused by Arson. The battalion chief says gasoline or fuel are usually part of what makes them burn hot and quick.
Sauder says, residents can still take steps to keep themselves safe, even in a fast moving fire. He recommends investing in a personal fire extinguisher or a safety ladder for residents on upper levels of apartment buildings.
There are also steps residents can take throughout the year, like changing the batteries of smoke detectors seasonally and making sure there's a working fire alarm installed in every room.
There are times in the worst-case-scenario when you cannot get out, which is when he says to call 911 and tell them where you are and get on a balcony if you can.
"Before we get to that, It all goes back to the smoke alarm it all goes back to early detection," said Sauders.
He says another important step residents can take if they live in an apartment complex is to introduce themselves to their neighbors. In an emergency, that neighbor can alert officials if a neighbor hasn't made it out safely during a crisis.