On Oct. 7, Magnolia resident Sandra Hargett died after her mobile home caught fire. Fire officials said there were no working smoke detectors in the home that could have provided early warning.

According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA) statistics, residential structure fires are the cause of approximately 84 percent of all fire deaths.

Residential structures include one and two-family dwellings (including manufactured homes), apartments, hotels and college dormitories.

In 2008, fire killed more Americans than all natural disasters combined, and there were a total of 2,780 deaths in the U.S. from residential fires.

Gary Vincent, fire chief of the Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD), said the two most important things to have in a home that could prevent damage and death from a fire are working smoke detectors and a residential sprinkler system.

“Ninety-six percent of the time, one sprinkler head will extinguish or control the fire until the fire department arrives,” he said. “Never try to re-enter a home that’s on fire,” Vincent added. “Call the fire department, which has the right equipment, protective gear and training.”

Vincent said a common mistake people make is not checking the batteries on smoke detectors in their home.

The MVFD offers smoke detectors free to anyone who requests one, but they are in limited supply, Vincent said.

Unattended stove top cooking fires, which was found to be the cause of New Caney resident William “Bill” Hallmark’s death in September, are one of the leading causes of residential fires, Vincent said.

The fire chief also emphasized the importance of preparation and having a plan.

“People need to have a common meeting place in the front yard, at the driveway, so they can get an accurate count that everyone is out of the house or that people are still missing,” he said.

The young and the old are the most susceptible to injury or death from a fire, Vincent said.

“Statistically, the population’s most at-risk from a fire are the very young and the elderly, who are not capable of saving themselves,” he said.

Hargett, who was partially bedridden due to back surgery, died of smoke inhalation after a fire started in her bedroom. Her home, along with Hallmark’s, was not equipped with working smoke detectors.

October is Fire Prevention Month across the nation, and fire agencies are working to educate the public about the importance of working smoke detectors and other preventative methods to minimize harm and damage.

Locally, the MVFD will conduct public education programs at elementary schools in the area.

A funeral was held for Sandra Hargett, 51, of Magnolia at Klein’s Funeral home in Magnolia Oct. 15.

Donations for Jack, Hargett’s 16-year-old son who was left orphaned and with no possessions after the fire destroyed his home, can be made to Woodforest National Bank under the name Jack Hargett or Amy Perez, his older sister.

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