SPECIAL REPORT: A little girl saved her family in a house fire, lessons that could save yours

SPOKANE, Wash. -- A string of deadly house fires in Spokane County in the last month has killed eight people. Of those, four were in the City of Spokane.
A family with two young boys died April 20 when their north central house caught fire. The Spokane Fire Department found that the home did not have working smoke detectors.
Six months before that fire, the Barlow family's home caught fire in the Indian Trail neighborhood. A lithium-ion battery in a flashlight sparked a smoky fire in the basement.
"There was smoke in my room," said seven-year-old Sydney.
That was around 3 a.m. that October morning.
She woke up her mom who was sleeping in a room down the hall. Mom went to investigate and immediately got Sydney and her little sister out of the house and called 911.
Sydney said "I pretty much saved her life, 'cause, like the smoke was coming up her vent."
SFD's Community Risk Reduction Manager, Jamie McIntyre praised the family for doing the right things and having working smoke detectors.
"They also have interconnected smoke alarms which is really a best practice, so that smoke alarm in the basement can activate the other alarms as well," he said.
She adds, besides having smoke detectors that work, there are 2 other things that could help your family survive a house fire. Have and practice an escape plan and, close before you doze! Sleep with your bedroom door closed. That not only delays the flames from getting to you, but the toxic carbon monoxide. "We know that smoke from fire ends up being what kills most people, the smoke inhalation, and those have been factors in some of the recent fires that we've seen." says McIntyre.
UL Fire Safety Research Institute simulated a house fire showing the effects of closing a door vs. an open door. Thermal camera found that the open door room, within minutes, temperatures can exceed 1000°, but in a closed door room, it typically stays below 100°. The research also found that gas concentrations were vastly different, as well. The open bedroom measured an extremely toxic level of carbon monoxide, 10,000 parts per million. In the closed bedroom had just 100 parts per million.
We know the family in north central Spokane didn't have a bedroom door and we don't know if smoke alarms would have saved their lives. The Barlows are sure the alarms saved theirs. Sydney wants you to check you fire alarms to make sure they work. She says "You gotta take it like really seriously!"
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