Fatal fire blamed on smoking

A fire that killed a 60-year-old West Ashley woman on Sunday is being blamed on careless smoking, Charleston fire officials said.

Terri Glenn had a smoke detector in her 1606 Holton Place home, but there was no battery inside to power the device, fire public information officer Mark Ruppel said.

"We can't guarantee that the outcome would have been any different if there had been a working smoke detector in the home, but it might have made a difference," he said.

The Charleston Fire Department got the call at 4:22 a.m. Sunday. Firefighters found smoke billowing from the house and a resident outside saying a woman was inside. It took firefighters two tries to find Glenn because the smoke was so thick.

Glenn was found in the kitchen, possibly en route to a door, Ruppel said. Firefighters rescued her from the home, but she died at Medical University Hospital from smoke inhalation, authorities said.

Investigators determined that the fire started in a bedroom due to careless smoking, Ruppel said.

He said the incident illustrates the importance of having working smoke detectors in a home. The Fire Department recommends checking smoke detectors monthly and replacing the batteries at least twice a year. Fire officials suggest using the start and end of daylight saving time as a reminder to change batteries, he said.

"This is a tragedy," Ruppel said of Sunday's fire. "But a lesson can also be learned. Smoke detectors do work, and they can save lives."