Warren fire this morning leaves family homeless

WARREN — A family of five on Woodland Street Northeast was left homeless by a fire that started on their porch this morning, but a smoke detector may have been the difference between $20,000 in damage and tragedy.

Warren Fire Chief Ken Nussle said the family at 1028 Woodland called 911 at 2:39 a.m. to report the fire in their 2 1/2 story home. A smoke detector alerted a mother, her three teenage children and a man, possibly the mother’s brother, to the fire, Nussle said.

They all escaped unharmed, and the damage was mostly contained to the exterior, Nussle said. The fire department continues to investigate, and no cause of the fire has been determined, Nussle said.

When the family awoke, they smelled smoke before escaping. The American Red Cross is assisting the family with living arrangements because the home is not habitable, Nussle said.

“The smoke detector very well could have saved their lives,” Nussle said.