A lack of smoke detectors contributed to a West Allis man getting trapped inside his burning home June 16, forcing him to leap to safety from the roof of the house.
Shortly before 12:55 p.m., the West Allis Fire Department responded to a cottage in the rear of a property at 1308 S. 63rd St. with a “heavy fire” on the first floor, according to Assistant Chief Jay Scharfenberg.
Emergency responders learned that prior to their arrival, a man had been napping on the second story. The home had no working smoke detectors, so the man was not alerted to the fire until a carbon monoxide alarm sounded, Scharfenberg said.
A smoke alarm would have sounded “long, long before” the carbon monoxide alarm, he added.
The man tried to escape by heading downstairs, but was trapped, Scharfenberg said. He then jumped 10 feet to the ground, suffering a minor injury in the process.