Cool operator

LUCKY escape . . . the window the woman scrambled out of before being rescued by firefighters

Woman talked to safety from blazing bungalow

A CALM-headed call operator talked a woman to safety after she became trapped during a fierce fire.

Tragedy was averted when the panicking victim was calmed and followed the advice she was given, enabling her to scramble on to a roof where she was rescued by firefighters.

The bungalow, at Edge Hill Road, Royton, was engulfed in flames at 11.20 last night leaving the woman trapped in the dormer bedroom above.

She was able to phone the emergency services and a composed control room operator talked her through the rescue, advising her to keep the door shut, seal it at the bottom, get the window open and clamber on to the flat roof.

She was taken to the Royal Oldham Hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation and kept in overnight but is expected to make a full recovery.

The bungalow was left severely damaged with a bedroom where the blaze started destroyed and the rest of the property smoke damaged.

Three fire crews tackled the blaze and stopped it spreading to neighbouring properties.

They were still damping down this morning and a joint fire and police investigation into the cause is now under way.

Chadderton Fire Station watch commander Mike Harris said: “Our control staff gave her advice of what to do as she could not get down the stairs to escape as the fire was so bad. It was a very fierce. She was very lucky.

“She got through a roof window and on to a flat roof where we rescued her.

“The control staff did a really good job talking her through it and the fire crew did very well too.”

He added that there was no smoke alarm in the property and fire fighters will be out in the area today urging people to get smoke alarms fitted.

Neighbour Karl Lutener also called the emergency services after being alerted by a burglar alarm going off.

He said: “I had just gone to bed at 11.20pm. I looked out of the window and saw the security light and heard the burglar alarm.

“I saw flames through the trees and smoke rising through the window. Suddenly, there were fire engines and police cars everywhere and within five minutes she had been rescued.”