Fire chief hails smoke alarms after couple flee home blaze (From Keighley News)

Fire chief hails smoke alarms after couple flee home blaze

7:00pm Friday 17th August 2012 in News

A couple who fled to safety from a burning house probably owe their lives to smoke detectors, claims a fire chief.

The alarms activated and woke the occupants of the semi-detached property in Hainworth Wood Road, Keighley.

They escaped as fire raged through a bedroom of the house.

Two appliances from Keighley Fire Station were called out to the incident, shortly before 7am last Friday.

Firefighters, including two wearing breathing apparatus, used a hose reel to bring the blaze under control in minutes. The fire was restricted to the bedroom.

A fire service investigator and police also attended, but the cause of the blaze was not believed to be suspicious.

Watch commander Chris Hannah, of Keighley fire service, said: “This incident shows the value of having working smoke detectors fitted in your home. In this case they probably saved the occupants’ lives.

“They give you a vital early warning to a fire and that can make all the difference, enabling you to evacuate safely.

“We would encourage anyone who doesn’t have detectors installed to contact the fire service immediately and get them fitted for free.”

Keighley Fire Station can be contacted on 01535 607401.