TOLEDO, Ohio — Seven people have died in fires in Toledo this year. Two happened in January and three more people died between February and June.
In July alone, three people have been killed.
On the morning of July 20, two people died after a fire started in a duplex house in north Toledo.
Toledo firefighters returned to two of those affected communities a day later, not to put out fires, but to prevent them.
They started at the intersection of Mott Avenue and Worthington Street in east Toledo, before moving to North Superior Street in North Toledo.
"Whenever we get a fatality, or we see fires in a specific area, we tend to go out and outreach to the area and make sure those houses around the area have working smoke alarms," Toledo Fire & Rescue's Sarah Rowe said.
The fire department went door to door -- and even car to car -- to pass out free smoke alarms.
Mott Avenue resident Cindy Cole said she's seen enough fires in her life to know the value of keeping her alarms up to date.
"I had two nephews that had passed when I was 12 years old, so that was over 50 years ago. And the fire on Worthington, I knew those also, I knew those three, so I had many reasons," she said.
The firefighters passed by the vigil for the two women who died in fire on July 20.
"Well. I pray for the families, and I hope everyone comes and gets some detectors," Marion Mathis, a Stickney Avenue resident, said.
The fire department recommends checking the batteries in smoke alarms multiple times a year and running a test at least once a month, because Rowe said mere seconds can mean life or death in a fire.
"A fire doubles in size approximately every 30 seconds, so every second truly does matter,"she said.
The turnout was strong and residents appreciated the TFRD's effort to keep the community safe.
"Toledo fire always does an excellent job of making sure the public is safe and I'm glad they did come out here and decide to do this," Mathis said.
For those who missed the giveaway, the fire department is planning more to do the same in other neighborhoods.
Free smoke alarms are also available at any of the 18 fire stations around the city.