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.”