Senior saved by Windsor smoke detector program

Windsor Fire and Rescue says its smoke detector program likely saved a senior's life Friday morning.

The fire started around 4:30 a.m. at 397 McEwan Ave.

Richard Evan Rhodes, 69, escaped, unharmed, after he heard the smoke alarm.

Phil Boots of Windsor Fire and Rescue says this story could have ended very differently and tragically.

"With our wakeup program, a smoke alarm was installed in this home a few months back, and he had no smoke alarm prior to that," Boots said. "The smoke alarm was what alerted him to the fire [Friday] morning, so without that, he would've perished."

Fire prevention officer Lee Tome said the cause of the fire is undetermined but caused $70,000 in damage.

Rhodes, who has dementia, was taken to the Salvation Army where he was eventually connected with his caregiver after he couldn't remember the names or phone numbers of any of his family members.