Delayed response to sounding smoke alarm results in safe but dramatic escape for Charlottesville, NC, family

Working smoke alarms ultimately saved the lives a Charlottesville, NC, woman and her two daughters, but a delayed response to the alarms contributed to a dramatic escape. Here’s a brief overview of what happened: A kitchen towel was accidentally ignited by a candle in the kitchen, triggering the smoke alarm to sound. After believing the towel was extinguished, the mother went upstairs with her two daughters, one of whom was an infant. When the smoke alarm began to sound again, she assumed that the residual smoke had set it off. By the time she investigated further, the fire had spread...