Henderson Co. woman credits smoke alarm with saving her life

WILDERSVILLE, Tenn. — Homeowner Mary Johnson says she awoke to the piercing sound of a smoke alarm on the afternoon of Dec. 30 to find her dinning room engulfed in flames.

“When I saw the smoke and curtains on fire, I said ‘Lord, let me get out of here or I will burn to death,'” she said.

The blaze destroyed Johnson’s mobile home, which is located in the 1000 block of Rue Hamner Road.

Henderson County firefighters traced the cause to a faulty extension cord that was plugged into an appliance.

Henderson County Fire Chief Lynn Murphy said people should use this as a reminder to check their smoke alarms.

“In this case, Mrs. Johnson is a prime example of a life saved due to that working alarm,” he said.

Murphy said alarms should be checked at least once a month, and if it uses batteries, they should be changed twice a year.

“Most of the time when you hear about fire-related deaths, it’s because they didn’t have working smoke alarms,” he said.

Because more fires tend to happen during colder months, Murphy recommends not using items like space heaters or extension cords for long periods of time.

Johnson said she used to think her alarm was a nuisance but that she will never take it for granted again.

“I just thank the smoke detector for going off and the Lord for helping me get out of there.”

Chief Murphy said anyone in need of an alarm can get a free one through their local fire department.