Longstanton: Family Saved By Smoke Alarm

31 May 2013, 08:49 | Updated: 31 May 2013, 10:15

Two people have been taken to hospital following a fire at a house in the Cambridgeshire village of Longstanton.

Crews were called to Stokes Close at 11:55pm last night (Thursday).

They found a fire that had broken out in the front bedroom of the property.

Two adults and three children had got out of the house when firefighters arrived.

Three of the family were given emergency first aid by paramedics at the scene, and two were taken to hospital with reported burns and after breathing in smoke.

An investigation into the cause of the fire has revealed it is believed to be accidental, most likely caused by an electrical fault.

Station Commander at Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service Martin Boome said: "This family is very lucky to be alive and I have no doubt in my mind that having a working smoke alarm alerted them to the fire and saved their lives.

The smoke alarm woke the parents in the household up and they discovered a fire in a front bedroom.

This was a serious fire.

The bedroom is completely destroyed and because all the doors in the property were left open there is lots of smoke damage to the rest of the house.

The actions of this family were absolutely correct; they got out, stayed out, and called the fire service.

This is a stark reminder as to why every household should have a working smoke alarm, correctly fitted, on every floor of the house."

A spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service said: "We were called at 00.02 with two ambulances, a rapid response vehicle and a hazardous area response team vehicle.

Five casualties were treated at the scene, two adults, three children.

Two children were treated for smoke inhalation and discharged.

One adult and child taken to Addenbrooke's for smoke inhalation as a precaution and other adult, a woman suffered burns to her hand and was also conveyed to Addenbrooke's."