Smoke detectors credited for preventing major fire damage to Riley County home

Riley County fire officials say early detection of an attic fire prevented major damage to a home on Rocky Ford Circle, north of Manhattan, this past weekend.

Firefighters from Riley County District No. 1 were dispatched around 2 a.m. Sunday to a residential fire alarm activated by a smoke detector. They contained rather quickly, a fire, determined to be caused by a faulty bathroom ventilation fan that became overheated. The fire then spread to the attic and a portion of the bathroom, causing an estimated damage of $12,500 to the structure and contents. Firefighters remained on scene until approximately 4 a.m.

No one was home at the time, but residents returned to the home just before fire department personnel arrived. No injuries were reported.

The fire department credits working smoke detectors from preventing the fire from going unnoticed for several hours.