Junction Fire Company Chief Scott Beers said a Granville Township resident called him Nov. 30 after a smoke detector activated for an unknown reason. The resident soon realized the home on Helen Street was filled with smoke.

Beers said he immediately contacted the Mifflin County 911 center by radio to request assistance. Firefighters arriving on scene found a moderate amount of smoke inside the home and later discovered a fire smoldering inside a wall for an unknown length of time.

New Lancaster Valley Fire Company Chief Nick Seaholtz said smoke detectors also activated Dec. 11 at a camp on John Deere Lane in Armagh Township, allowing the occupant time to escape. By the time firefighters arrived, the camp was nearly fully engulfed in flames.

No injuries were reported in either incident.

According to Underwriters Laboratories, a global independent safety science company that tests, inspects, and certifies products, materials and systems to ensure they meet safety, quality, and performance standards, fires in homes spread at least seven times faster today than they did in the 1980s. The company estimates residents now have about three minutes to escape a burning home, compared with 17 minutes in the 1980s.

The National Fire Protection Association recommends changing the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors when clocks change in the spring and fall, and replacing detectors every 10 years. The Association also recommends installing at least one smoke detector on every level of a home, including the basement, and near or inside sleeping areas.

Detectors should not be placed in bathrooms or near kitchen stoves, where steam or cooking heat can cause false alarms. The NFPA recommends combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors or, if separate units are used, installing multiple detectors of each type throughout the home.

Carbon monoxide, often called the “silent killer,” is an odorless, colorless gas. As carbon monoxide levels rise and exposure time increases, the risk of serious illness or death increases.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. Symptoms are often described as flu-like. High levels of exposure can cause loss of consciousness or death. People who are sleeping, intoxicated or under the influence of drugs may die before experiencing symptoms.

The CDC and NFPA recommend having chimneys inspected or cleaned annually. Blocked chimneys can cause carbon monoxide to build up inside homes or cabins.

Safety officials also warn never to burn charcoal indoors, use portable gas camp stoves inside, or operate portable flameless chemical heaters indoors, as all can produce carbon monoxide.

Local fire chiefs are urging residents to check smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries and to develop a home fire escape plan that includes a designated meeting place. Once outside, residents should not reenter the home.