Smoke alarm saves family in flat fire terror – Local – lep.co.uk
Published on Tuesday 31 January 2012 08:45
Four young children and two adults were taken to hospital after fire broke out in a flat.
Emergency services were called to Tulketh Brow, Ashton, Preston, at 4.55am on Saturday after reports of smoke.
Today, fire chiefs said smoke alarms saved the family.
The fire started in a back bedroom and it is believed one of the children may have started the blaze accidentally.
The family were taken to the Royal Preston Hospital as a precaution but did not suffer serious injury.
Watch manager Mick Hayes, based at Preston fire Station, said: “On arrival, six occupants were out.
“The flat was heavily smoke-logged and it was actually quite a severe fire. “We committed six breathing apparatus into the property to extinguish the fire.
“We were at the scene for around two hours.”
Mr Hayes said the family were alerted to it because the smoke alarm sounded and an investigation found the blaze may have been started by a child playing with a lighter.
He said: “Initial indications are that it is more than likely to be a child playing with a lighter.
“With this, we want to put across the message that it is very dangerous for a children to have access to fire or lighters.”
On Saturday, January 7 four siblings aged 19, twins aged four and a two-year-old, died in a house fire in Lytham Road, Freckleton, near Preston, in a bungalow which did not have working smoke alarms.
Mr Hayes said: “On this occasion there were working smoke alarms in the flat and they more than likely saved the lives of six people.”
