Elderly Woman Awakened by Smoke Alarm

An elderly woman was awakened by a smoke alarm Saturday night after a fire started in the laundry room of her home from a clothes dryer.
County Fire Chief Donny Green says Virginia Jones, who lives alone at 242 Delong Road, off Jefferson Road was in bed when she was awakened by a smoke alarm in her home. She discovered that the house was filled with smoke and that the clothes dryer in the laundry room was on fire. She called 911 and firefighters were dispatched to the scene.
Chief Green says firefighters, upon arrival, saw heavy smoke coming from the house and fire in the laundry room and clothes in the dryer were on fire.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire but heat and smoke damage spread to areas of the home near the laundry room.
Jones was taken by DeKalb EMS to DeKalb Community Hospital for observation.
Chief Green says it appears the clothes dryer overheated due to an obstructed vent which sparked the fire.
Members of the Keltonburg, Belk, and Blue Springs Stations responded along with DeKalb EMS and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department.