California Couple Alerted to House Fire by Smart Home Security System

California residents Michael Hernandez and fiance Katy Nix said their smart home security system saved their lives when it alerted them to a fire burning outside their Corona home on Sunday, December 17.

Hernandez and Nix were asleep when the fire reportedly started around 3:30 am on Sunday, according to news reports. Hernandez received several alerts on his phone and went out with a fire extinguisher in hopes of putting out the blaze but failed to do so.

The fire, which started in trees next to Hernandez’ driveway and spread due to strong winds, damaged his house and destroyed his neighbor’s. Hernandez’ father, Jose Hernandez LLerandi, started a GoFundMe campaign to help rebuild his son’s house. A portion of the profits will be donated to the neighbor who lost his or her home.

This video shows flames outside a home.

The couple had just painted their home they bought a month earlier and uninstalled their smoke detector. The Ring video doorbell has a motion detector, which was triggered by the fire. Hernandez said without the smart doorbell, he and Nix would not have “been so lucky.” Credit: Michael Hernandez via Storyful