The fire swallowed up their kitchen, but they were saved by the alarm.

That was the story Oct. 2 at a home on Summers Dr. in Thorold. When food left in a toaster oven and oil boiling on the stove to make onion rings ignited, the smoke alarm inside the home went off and alerted the four students living there, said city firefighters.

The kitchen was gutted and firefighters figure the home suffered about $100,000 in damage. But the students survived.

“If there hadn’t been a working smoke alarm, the fire could have gotten that much more intense,” said Larry Robertson, captain of the city’s fire prevention squad. “There could have been a lot more damage than there was.”

But the alarm was there - which is progress, he said.

“Through education, people are starting to realize that it’s the law to have them and the importance of them,” he said.

That’s one of the messages firefighters are trying to spread this week - it’s Fire Prevention Week.

Robertson said by law, you should have a smoke alarm on every floor and outside all sleeping areas. And he said if there is a fire, it’s best to have two ways out of your home.

“It’s important that everyone has a plan on getting out safely,” he said. “If you can’t get out the front door, maybe your second means of egress is the back door.”

The students, at least, had a way out and an alarm.

Robertson said the fire was sparked after the food was put on the stove. It was forgotten, though, when the students went to play video games.

By the time the alarm sounded, there was already a massive blaze in the kitchen.

He said not leaving a running stove unattended is another key part of fire prevention.

More to come.