Firefighters tackle blaze at home in Wisbech St Mary where smoke alarms were not fitted

FIREFIGHTERS tackled a blaze at a Fenland home where smoke alarms were not fitted. Crews were called to a house in Sandbank, Wisbech St Mary, in the early hours of Wednesday. The fire was inside the wall of the house behind a coal burner in the kitchen, b

FIREFIGHTERS tackled a blaze at a Fenland home where smoke alarms were not fitted.

Crews were called to a house in Sandbank, Wisbech St Mary, in the early hours of Wednesday.

The fire was inside the wall of the house behind a coal burner in the kitchen, but travelled up the chimney and set fire to roof joists in a first floor bedroom.

Firefighters entered the house wearing breathing apparatus and had to cut away part of the wall to gain access. They used a hose reel to extinguish the blaze.

An inspection after tackling the fire found there were no smoke alarms fitted in the house.

Emma Cousins, Press and PR Officer for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "With the weather turning colder, it is vital that you check that chimneys are clear and have been swept and that coal and wood burners have been installed and maintained correctly.

"At the very least, ensure that you have a working smoke alarm and that you check that it is working once a week, so that if you do have a fire, you have a good chance of getting out of your home alive.

"Those without a working smoke alarm are twice as likely to die in a house fire. It is a fact that smoke alarms save lives.