Bellbrook firefighters responded to a typical call Wednesday evening to find something very untypical: a fire inside a residence.

Just before 1800 hours, firefighters were alerted to a home fire alarm that had activated at 1662 Cedar Court. Two engines, one ladder and a medic were dispatched to investigate.

"We arrived and during our initial investigation, it appeared to be another false alarm," Lt. Ben Abes said. "There was nothing visible from the exterior, and during a walk around there was nothing notable on the inside of the structure either."

But a crew from the first arriving engine investigated further and found a light, smoke-like haze inside the structure. The crew made entry into the structure and found a small fire in the living room.

The crew quickly extinguished the fire with a portable fire extinguisher, and the crew arriving on the ladder truck began ventilating the house with fans and checked the attic to ensure it was clear of smoke and flames.

Lt. Abes was surprised at the findings inside the home.

"We go on alarms that are often set off by cooking or a system malfunction, but it has been a long time since we've actually had a fire reported by an alarm system," he said.

Chief Scott Hall was pleased to learn of the disaster averted by the home fire alarm system.

"From what I've learned, this fire could have easily destroyed the home had we not received advanced warning from the alarm system," he said.

The fire caused $700 damage, and no injuries to firefighters or civilians were reported.

Release F00-560