Smoke alarm saves family (From Barry And District News)

Smoke alarm saves family

A YOUNG Barry mum and her two children were saved from a raging fire at their home thanks to a simple smoke alarm.

Ceri Collard, 21, and her two children, Brandon, two, and Josh, one, of Gladstone Garden Court, slept while fire swept through their flat.

Ceri said: "The smoke alarm saved us really. We were all fast asleep. The alarm going off woke me up. I went into the front room and it was black with smoke. I grabbed the children and got them out of the building as fast as I could."

Firefighters from Barry's Green Watch arrived at the ground floor flat off Buttrills Road shortly after 2am on Monday, April 19.

Fire crews used one hose reel to extinguish the fire involving a chair, which had started in the family's living room.

All the occupants had managed to leave the property after their smoke alarm provided an early indication of the fire.

SDO Steve Skivens, Divisional Commander for West Division, said the incident was a warning to everyone that smoke alarms should not only be installed but also regularly checked.

He said: "Fortunately the smoke alarm, which had been fitted by Barry firefighters, alerted the family to the blaze and they were able to get out unscathed.

"It is vital that all households have smoke detectors in their homes and that they are checked on a regular basis to ensure they are working.

"Sadly, the death rate in domestic fires where there is no working smoke alarm is twice as high as that in homes fitted with a working smoke alarm."

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service had recently fitted a free smoke alarm at the flat after a home fire risk assessment had been carried out there.

Assessments are available primarily to people at most vulnerable to fire at home and anyone requesting them from their local fire station.

They involve a visit from local firefighters, who look for potential danger areas in the home and offer advice and guidance on how to reduce the risk of fire.

Occupants are also given advice on the importance of fitting and maintaining smoke alarms, and encouraged to think about an escape plan in the event of a fire.