INDIANAPOLIS — One person is dead and another is injured after a house fire on Indy's near northeast side Monday afternoon.
The blaze was reported at 1 p.m. Jan. 22 in the 2700 block of North Dearborn Street, near East 25th Street and North Keystone Avenue.
A woman was killed and a man critically injured, according to a fire department spokesperson.
The Marion County Coroner's Office will identify the woman once family has been notified.
While firefighters were putting out the fire, they found no working smoke detectors. IFD told 13News calls like this happen more often than not.
"Sadly, it's all too common," IFD Battalion Chief Rita Reith said.
Firefighters say working smoke detectors in this fire could have alerted people sooner.
"Because smoke alarms are really the first line of defense to save your life and to save your family's life," Reith said.
That's why IFD urges everyone to check their smoke alarms on a monthly basis. If you have a sealed, 10-year battery alarm, it's easy to do.
"You just press a button on the smoke alarm, it tells you if it's working, if it's active and it's a simple way of doing business," Reith said.
If you aren't sure if it's working or if you need a new one, you can call the fire department or use this link to get one installed.
"Please call us," Reith said. "We will come to your house and literally install it in your house for you. It's just a phone call away — we just need to know you are in need of one."
If you hear your alarm beeping, it could mean the battery is dying or it has detected something.
"We are more than happy to come and check for potential fire in your attic space, but for a simple alarm, it may just be replacing to do the job," Reith said.
While it may be hard to remember to do those monthly checks, IFD says it's worth it.
"Smoke alarms do save lives every single day," Reith said.