Woman Escapes House Fire in Mills

At approximately 1 AM Friday, the Mills Fire Department got a report of a unusual odor in the 500 block of Wasatch Ave in Mills. Fire fighters found a single family home with smoke coming from the roof and attic area. Crews were able immediately evacuate an elderly woman and her dogs. Firefighters found that there was a fire located in the walls and attic of the home. They had to remove large portions of the homes drywall, ceilings, and insulation.

The woman was the single occupant of the home at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported to either her or fire personnel. Unfortunately, the home did sustained minor smoke damage and due to the amount of drywall that had to be removed to extinguish the fire, the home will be uninhabitable until repairs can be made and the utilities are restored.

The homeowner did have smoke detectors in her home, but they were not in working order. The woman was alerted of the fire by her dogs who woke her. She immediately called 911 and reported she could smell smoke, but was unsure of its source.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined as it is still under investigation. Agencies that assisted Mills Fire Department were Natrona County Fire Protection District, Mills Police Department, Natrona County Sheriffs Victim services Team, and The American Red Cross.

Mills Fire Department would like to remind everyone to ensure all your smoke and gas detectors are in working order and the batteries changed on a regular basis. Smoke detectors should be placed in every room of the house.