Our neighbors to the north are mourning the deaths of five young children in a fire at a day care center last weekend.

The father of three of the children killed in the blaze, a volunteer firefighter, was on another call just blocks away when the fire broke out.

Our hearts go out to the families.

A fire official blamed a “loophole” in the inspection process for failing to prevent the tragedy.

The Harris Family Daycare in Erie apparently didn’t have enough smoke detectors, Erie Fire Chief Guy Santone said.

Investigators located only one in the house. It was in the attic. State regulations indicate there should have been one on each floor of the two-story home.

State inspectors check issues of cleanliness and staff training, Santone said, but don’t evaluate smoke detectors or the home’s wiring as a fire inspector would.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, but Santone said officials believe it likely was an accidental electrical fire.

“When they (state officials) do their inspections, they don’t inspect for smoke detectors. They don’t inspect for fire extinguishers. They inspect for things like cleanliness, make sure that there’s nothing laying around that a child can choke on, things of that nature,” Santone said of the state’s Department of Human Services during a news conference last week.

Through an email to the Erie Times-News, the DHS stated: “The current regulations do not allow for citing a child care facility for compliance with fire safety codes, including the presence and functionality of smoke detectors.”

Why not?

State Sen. Dan Laughlin, a Republican who represents Erie, said he is drafting legislation that would require the DHS to look for detectors during its annual inspection of day care facilities.

The National Fire Protection Association said an average of 1,450 fire deaths occur every year in homes with missing or nonfunctioning smoke alarms. It said almost three of every five home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms (40 percent) or no smoke alarms that were working (17 percent).

There were 152 fire-related fatalities in the state in 2018. Two were in Butler County.

There is no reason why every home and business in the state should not have functioning smoke alarms.

Some fire departments offer reduced-price, or even free, smoke alarms. Contact your local fire department’s non-emergency phone number for more information.

We commend Laughlin for his efforts to ensure the safety of all Pennsylvania residents. This is long overdue.

It’s a shame it takes a tragedy to spur change.

— JGG