'Smart' Doorbell Awakens Couple During House Fire, Allows Escape
A couple who was sleeping in their Corona, California, home claimed they were alerted to a fire thanks to a "smart" doorbell, KABC, an ABC affiliate reported Monday.
Mike Hernandez said he woke up in the middle of the night to pings on his phone from his doorbell's motion detector, set off by a fire that started on his front porch around 3:30 p.m. PST Sunday. Mike, his finance Katy and his brother escaped unharmed.
"I finally opened up my eyes and looked to my right and outside my bedroom window I just saw what looked to be flames," Mike told KABC.
Surveillance video captured the blaze surrounding the exterior of the house. It also showed Mike outside with a fire extinguisher assessing the flames before he realized there was nothing he could do to stop it.
The family's Ring Video Doorbell recorded the incident. The couple said they removed their smoke detector earlier due to home improvements and attributed their escape to doorbell's motion-sensor and video capabilities.
"We took down our smoke detector because we just repainted the entire house, and so without the Ring system in place and me getting these alerts, I probably would not have woken up," Mike added.
The fire originated near trees next to the driveway of the couple’s home. Strong winds intensified the flames, causing them to spread faster and reach a neighboring home. Investigators said they are examining the cause of the fire.
Firefighters saved the property, however, it sustained some damage. Mike and Katy purchased their home about a month ago.
"It's terrifying, but we're going to move forward, and we're thankful that, you know, it wasn't worse," Katy said.
Meanwhile, four of the deadliest fires on state record occurred in California, since October. Roughly 12,000 people were evacuated in Santa Barbra County, CNN reported Monday. Flames engulfed the vineyards of wine country in Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino Counties, leaving over 40 people dead.
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