10:57am Monday 8th February 2010
Fire crews were called out to two serious house fires in Chorley on Saturday where smoke alarms saved the day.
At around 2am reports were received of people trapped inside a property in The Hawthorns, Eccleston.
When officers arrived, they found four people outside the house but one man was still inside trying to fight the blaze.
Watch manager Peter Bamber from Chorley fire station said: “Four people had evacuated, but one person remained inside, using pans of water to fight a fire in the living room.
“Crews walked this person from the house as there was still some smoke within the property.
“Although this probably prevented the spread of fire to other parts of the house, his actions placed himself in immense danger of being completely overcome by the fire and smoke.”
All five people were taken to hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation but there were no serious injuries.
Mr Bamber added: "There was a smoke alarm within the house and this raised the alarm. Without this, we would undoubtedly have been dealing with an even more serious incident."
At 10.10pm on Saturday the alarm was raised at a terraced house on Regent Road, Chorley after reports of a smoke alarm sounding.
A neighbour heard the alarm and thought she could see ‘steam’ at the rear windows.
The house was found to be smoke logged due to oven chips being left unattended within an electric oven and a pan of curry on the gas hob.
The male occupant had fallen asleep in the front room leaving the food cooking.
Mr Bamber said: “Had smoke alarms not been fitted within this house, the neighbour would not have been alerted to the deteriorating situation.”
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