Blaze heroes

FIRE crews at the scene of the blaze in Moor Street, Shaw

Neighbours rescue family from their blazing house

FAST-ACTING neighbours rescued a mother and son from a blaze which raged through their home and killed their pet dog.

Karen Eckersley called for help from the bathroom window of the house in Moor Street, Shaw, where she and her teenage son were trapped by the flames.

The boy, Josh, smashed the window and the pair climbed out on to a porch roof while Melanie Kinder ran to call the fire brigade and other neighbours brought a ladder and gathered to help.

The 38-year-old mother and her son, aged around 14, were asleep in bed when they were woken by the fire, and were guided down the ladder to the ground by helpful neighbours.

The teenager tried to get back into the house to rescue his dog, but without keys they were unable to get in, and firefighters later found the body of the Staffordshire bull terrier in a bedroom.

Nine firefighters with two fire engines turned out from Chadderton when they were alerted to the blaze shortly after 9am yesterday.

They arrived to find the end terrace house well alight, caused by a clothes drier left turned on, which had developed a fault.

It had been turned on by a young woman who also lived in the house, before she left for work.

Both mother and son were taken to the Royal Oldham Hospital suffering from the effects of smoke, and Josh was also treated for cuts to his hand, resulting from him smashing a window to get out.

Melanie, who called 999, said: “I was walking up the street and saw Karen hanging out of the bathroom window.

“She shouted me to ring the fire brigade and said the house was on fire.

“I could see smoke coming from the house.”

Watch commander Pete Marshall, said: “They were extremely lucky to get out.

“We found no evidence of a smoke alarm in the house, and this shows the importance of having one.

“They still may not have been able to get down the stairs because the fire started in the kitchen, but they would have had earlier warning of it.”

Fire crews spent three hours at the scene, and commended the swift action of neighbours.