Father and son escape Warren fire

WARREN — A father and his son made it safely out of their near East Side home this morning, although the smoke alarm wasn’t functioning.

Paul Hunter told police he was sleeping in his second-floor bedroom with his son, 4-year-old Devon, shortly before 9:45 a.m.

Hunter said his son left the bedroom of the house he rents at 183 Charles Ave. When the boy returned, Hunter smelled smoke.

Hunter said he attempted to put the fire out in the bedroom of his 9-year-old daughter, Ashley. Her bedroom is also on the second floor of the 2 1/2-story frame structure.

His daughter was at school at the time and his wife, Kathryn, at work when the flames broke out. Hunter ran to the next door neighbor’s home to call 911. Hunter doesn’t have a telephone.

Neither Hunter, his son nor the family dog was injured. He pointed out that the dog never barked to warn them.

Fire Capt. Gary Shaffer said the flames were confined to the one bedroom.

A smoke alarm in the house didn’t have batteries in it, which came as a surprise to Hunter. “I thought they were in there,” he said of the batteries.

Hunter said he was unsure where he was going to live.

“It’s Christmas. I don’t want to burden my family. I don’t want to stay with them,” Hunter said with emotion.