Young Family Rescued In Essex Fire

5 February 2011, 08:27 | Updated: 16 February 2011, 15:10

Firefighters have saved a couple and their 6 year old daughter trapped in a fire at their home in Grays.

Crews were called to Maple Road in the early hours of this morning (5 February).

All three were suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation and taken to hospital as a precaution.

Station Officer Maddams, in charge of Blue Watch at Grays Fire Station said: "This family had a very lucky escape. It was a team effort with crews from Orsett and Grays working well together in what had to be a quick and efficient rescue. The couple and their daughter most definitely owe their lives to the breathing apparatus crews that went inside both to tackle the fire and to rescue them.
"The thick black smoke was deadly and we felt it was too dangerous to bring the family back through the property once we'd reached them, so they were taken down the ladder."

The fire service say the couple, in their late twenties, did not have a working smoke alarm in the property which could have provided enough early warning to give them the valuable seconds they needed to flee.

It's thought the fire was started by a burning pan left on a lighted stove when the family went to bed.

ECFRS carries out free home fire safety checks for the most vulnerable members of the community, To see if you qualify, call today on 0845 6012495.