Smoke alarm importance stressed after Pennsylvania day care fire kills five children

ROANOKE, Va. – Local fire prevention experts reacted with concern after five children in Pennsylvania died Sunday in a massive house fire at a day care center.

Fire officials said the victims were between 8 months and 7 years old.

The local fire chief said the fire is believed to have been electrical and there was only one smoke detector in the house, which was in the attic.

Roanoke Fire-EMS Fire Prevention Specialist Tiffany Bradbury said she was heartbroken to hear about this incident and she wants to remind everyone that there should be at least one working smoke detector on every floor.

"As parents and caregivers we need to make sure no matter where our kids are sleeping, whether it's at our house, grandma's house, sleepover at a friend's house or on vacation, that we have working smoke alarms in that home and also we know about meeting places and escape plans and we need to practice those," Bradbury said.

She added that a plan could potentially include using an escape ladder to get down from a higher floor.