Smoke alarm alerts elderly woman to fire

Wednesday 8 September
00.46 Ringwood Road, Twerton, Bath

A 72-year-old woman has had a lucky escape after her smoke alarm alerted her to a fire in her bungalow.

When firefighters arrived at the property they could see smoke coming from the roof, however the woman who lives in the house was already outside unharmed.

Six firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property and accessed the roof where they found a well developed fire in the loft space. Crews tackled the fire using two high pressure hose reels. They also worked to cut away the roof tiles to ensure the fire was fully out.

Once the fire was extinguished firefighters assisted with ventilating the property and called for the Red Cross Fire and Emergency Support vehicle, which is based at Keynsham Fire Station and staffed by Red Cross volunteers. They assist people affected by fire with items like insurance and provide a range of support and assistance.

The cause of the fire is thought to be accidental, due to an electrical fault.

Avon Fire & Rescue Service would like to remind people about the importance of working smoke alarms. Fortunately in this case the woman was woken up by her smoke detector activating, meaning she had time to escape the property. Had it not been for the smoke alarm it could have been a different story.