Smoke alarm saves Dorset mum and tot’s lives

7:00am Saturday 30th January 2010

By Stephen Bailey

A SMOKE alarm saved the lives of a mum and her two-year-old son after a Fire broke out in the lounge of their Shaftesbury home yesterday. The blaze started at 4.20pm in Coppice Street and a 999 operator told them to barricade themselves into the kitchen. The woman passed her child to safety through a window and she was later rescued by fire crews who were sent into the house wearing breathing apparatus. “The occupants are very lucky,” said station manager Sean Frampton. “We must stress how important it is to check smoke alarms regularly.”

The family heard the smoke alarm but found themselves trapped in the house.

A spokesman for Dorset Fire service said: “Our staff in fire control gave fire survival advice. The lady managed to shut herself in the kitchen with her two year old son and was advised to put materials at the bottom of the door to stop smoke entering. She managed to pass her son out of the window to a neighbour but was not able to escape herself. Crews were told where to find her and on their arrival she was safely rescued from the property.”

Firefighters were sent from Shaftesbury, Gillingham and Sturminster Newton. The cause is still being investigated. Station manager Frampton added: “This is a perfect example of how important smoke alarms can be in saving lives. “Our staff gave fire survival advice to a mother and once on the scene crews were able to quickly locate her and rescue her from the property.”

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk

The views expressed above are personal unless stated otherwise. Gillingham Town Council is not liable for any consequences of accessing this electronic transmission.