Hubbard Mayor Ben Kyle passes out smoke detectors to Hubbard City and Hubbard Township residents in a drive-thru distribution of the fire-safety devices Saturday at the Hubbard City Building. ,,, Staff photo / Allie Vugrincic

HUBBARD — Four hundred city and township homes each have two new smoke detectors, thanks to a drive-thru distribution Saturday at the Hubbard City Building.

“Since the beginning of the year, so many house fires have occurred around the Valley,” said Hubbard Mayor Ben Kyle, who joined other Hubbard city and township officials in passing out the smoke detectors. “I wanted to have a way to save lives.”

Cars started lining up over an hour before the event was set to start at 10 a.m., Kyle said.

Former Eagle Joint Fire District firefighter Mike Kerr and current firefighter Lt. Mike Mogg said smoke detectors provide early warning when there is a fire and give people peace of mind.

“It makes our jobs easier,” added Mogg.

He said when people get out of burning houses quickly, firefighters don’t have to go inside to look for them.

Although October is fire prevention month, this time of year can be particularly dangerous for fires.

“There’s a lot of fires that happen now when it’s really cold,” Kerr said.

The pair said keeping chimneys clean and never heating a house with a stove are ways to practice good fire safety. It is also important to have escape routes planned, and a good idea to know your neighbors and have a safe meetup spot in case of an emergency.

Kerr said smoke detectors should be placed on each level of a home, and if possible, in every bedroom where someone sleeps. Batteries should be changed twice per year — firefighters recommend checking smoke detectors when clocks are changed for daylight savings.

Having carbon monoxide detectors is also important, as the odorless gas can be deadly, Kerr said.

Mogg added that if you become trapped in a burning building, it is best not to hide. If you sit in the open and stay low to the ground where there is less smoke and greater visibility, firefighters are able to find you more easily.

Saturday’s smoke detector distribution was made possible by the Hubbard Community Fund, the Rotary Club of Hubbard, and Hello Brothers Club, as well as Phil Mazi, owner of Handyman Hardware, who purchased 250 of the smoke detectors, according to Kyle.

Kyle wrote on his Facebook page that the smoke detector program has been a dream of his since he was a kid watching his dad, a volunteer firefighter and then a fire chief, run out of the house to put out fires.

avugrincic@tribtoday.com