Choking smoke traps five

THREE adults and two babies were led to safety by firefighters after getting trapped in a house blaze.

Two firefighters kicked down the front door to get to their aid in Belmont Street, Coldhurst, at 6.45am yesterday.

The occupants had been alerted by a smoke alarm and contacted the fire service but were trapped by thick, black smoke pouring from the cellar, where the blaze had started.

The crew helped a couple and the two children from a bedroom and then a 25-year-old woman asleep in another room.

They were given oxygen therapy for smoke inhalation and then taken to the Royal Oldham Hospital for assessment as a precaution. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Oldham Fire Station watch commander Mark Beswick said: “It was a bit of a shock but they all seemed okay and were walking and talking.

“They were quite lucky and it shows the benefits of a smoke alarm giving an early warning.

“There were a number of plastic items in the cellar making the smoke acrid and it came up the cellar steps and trapped them upstairs in the bedroom. Everything turned out okay but there was a lot of damage downstairs.

“They did the right thing and after hearing the smoke alarm go off they shut themselves in a bedroom and contacted the fire service and spoke to our fire operator who gave them advice.”