Some Saturday mornings begin with sirens — and end with relief. That was the story in West Toledo this weekend, where 11 people walked out of a burning home alive and unhurt.

Just after 5 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, a fire broke out at a home in the 4100 block of Birchall Road, according to Toledo Fire & Rescue. Firefighters at the scene said the fire started in the attic. All 11 people inside made it out safely, and no injuries were reported.

The Red Cross was contacted to assist the family, and investigators are still working to determine what started the fire.

After a heavy weekend of difficult news around the region, this is the morning’s good news: 11 people out safely. A house can be repaired or rebuilt. Eleven lives walking away unharmed is the part that matters.

As colder weather settles in and furnaces, space heaters, and holiday lights come back into use, it is a good time for every household to check smoke alarms, keep a clear path to every exit, and talk through a fire escape plan with everyone under the roof — before it is ever needed.

Source: 13abc / WTVG

Firefighters respond to a house fire. (File photo: Pjotr Mahhonin / Wikimedia Commons)