Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

Market Street, St Austell at 17/02/2010 08:35

Firefighters from St Austell were in attendance within four minutes of a report of smoke in a third-floor flat with a person trapped inside.

The occupant had already been rescued by a member of the public prior to the arrival of fire crews and firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the smoke-filled flat to extinguish the fire using a hosereel.

Two people were treated at the scene by ambulance personnel for the effects of smoke inhalation.

If it wasn't for the working smoke alarm that alerted other occupants of the building, the consequences of this fire would probably have been grave.

General Fire Safety Advice:
Here are some simple tips for a safer home:
Fit a smoke alarm and check it regularly.
Make a fire action plan so that everyone in your house knows how to escape in the event of fire.
Take care when cooking with hot oil and think about using thermostatically controlled deep fat fryers.
Never leave lit candles unattended.
Ensure cigarettes are stubbed out and disposed of carefully.
Never smoke in bed.
Keep matches and lighters away from children Keep clothing away from heating appliances.
Take care in the kitchen!
Accidents while cooking account for 59% of fires in the home.
Take special care when you are tired or when you've been drinking. Half of all deaths in domestic fires happen between 10pm and 8am.

Related item: http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=7275