Mattress fire draws emergency response in Stratford

Firefighters respond to a fire in the basement of a home on St. Vincent Street in Stratford on Jan. 17, 2023. (Jeff Pickel/CTV Kitchener)

Fire officials are crediting working smoke alarms with ensuring a Stratford family was able to safely exit their home after a fire broke out.

Stratford Fire Chief John Paradis said emergency crews were called to the St. Vincent Street address at 8 a.m. after someone saw smoke coming out of a basement window.

Paradis said after hearing the smoke alarm, the family’s son went downstairs, saw smoke and urged everyone to get out.

Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish a mattress in the basement that was in the “early stages of ignition,” Paradis said.

He said four people and two cats were at home at the time of the fire. No injuries were reported.

Parents dropping students off at St. Joseph’s Catholic Elementary School across the street were advised to avoid St. Vincent Street Tuesday morning.

As of just before noon, Paradis said smoke had been cleared from the home and staff were on scene investigating the cause of the fire.

An estimate of the damage is not available yet.