Elderly woman escapes house fire thanks to smoke alarms
Firefighters are stressing the importance of having working smoke alarms at home after an elderly woman escaped from a fire at her home last week.
The fire is thought to have started when a spark from a log burner set a wicker basket alight.
Fire crews from Deeside, Mold and Ruthin were called to a fire near Llanarmon yn Ial in North Wales at around 12.15pm on Friday 9th March.
Andy Robb from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were able to advise the occupier to make her way safely out of the property and she received treatment for mild smoke inhalation at the scene. The fire started in a wicker basket positioned near a log burner. A spark had ignited paper and logs in the basket. We would strongly advise against placing wicker items near a heat source – although they look decorative they can easily overheat or catch a spark and ignite. The combination of a working smoke alarm and a link to outside assistance undoubtedly saved this lady’s life and enabled us to arrive in time to prevent substantial damage to the property. The smoke alarms at the property had been fitted by staff from our fire and rescue service during a previous home safety check.”
Arson suspected at Cambridgeshire flats
A fire which broke out at a block of flats in Eynesbury is thought to have been started deliberately.
Firefighters rescued five people from the first and second floor balconies of the building. The residents were unable to exit the building due to thick smoke in the communal stairwells.
Nine residents received treatment for smoke inhalation at the scene and seven people were taken to hospital but there were no serious injuries reported.
Crews from St Neots, Gamlingay, Papworth and Cambridge attended the incident.
Callum Faint from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Although this was a small fire, because it was located in the stairwell it put lives at risk. Firefighters did a fantastic job on arrival, immediately setting to work rescuing residents quickly but safely, and extinguishing the fire. Modern buildings are designed to stop the spread of fire for around an hour, so if you are unable to escape from your flat the best thing to do is place towels under the door to stop smoke entering your flat, and going to a window or balcony to alert firefighters to your presence and wait for us to rescue you.”
A full investigation into the cause of the blaze is now being carried out.
Garages destroyed in village fire
A huge fire broke out in a row of garages in Langford, Bedfordshire at around 6pm on 3rd March.
Many homes had to be evacuated by police and the village’s main road closed. Bedfordshire and Luton Fire Service attended the incident.
A spokesperson for the fire service said: “There was a block of four brick garages that were on fire at the rear of the houses. We sent two fire crews from Biggleswade and one from Shefford. We also had other support vehicles from Bedford that were there because of the scale of the incident. One of the garages was thought to have cylinders in it of liquid petroleum gas and acetylene. When cylinders are involved there is the potential that they could explode and in that situation we evacuate the vicinity. People were evacuated in the 200m vicinity to make sure that if they were to explode there would be no injuries. We had a number of ground monitors and jets. Water was put on to the fire and it was declared safe at 1.36am.”
Due to the buildings containing gas cylinders, it took fire crews longer to control the fire, but residents were allowed to go back to their homes, three hours after they were evacuated.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
Family loses everything in house fire
A family has lost everything they own in a fire that broke out in their East Peckham home last week.
All occupants of the semi-detached home in Hop Bine Close escaped unhurt but the property and everything in it has been destroyed.
25 firefighters attended the fire at around 3.50am, but they had to fall back when the roof collapsed at around 4.24am.
Eye witness, Mrs Allen said: “At first, I thought it was daylight. And there were all the lights from the engines as well. The roof was alight and I could see flames coming through the back bedroom. The flames were shooting through the roof. At least everyone got out safely, though I’m a bit worried as I’m not sure if their black dog is OK.”
A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service said: “Crews wearing breathing apparatus tackled the fire using three hose reels and a hydrant. They were withdrawn from the property due to the roof collapsing at 4.24am. Four pumps attended – one from Paddock Wood, two from Tonbridge and one from Borough Green. We also had support from Thames-side.”
An investigation is being carried out to determine how the fire was started.