Firefighter’s warning after pensioner falls while oven was blazing

A personal alarm has helped prevent a fire in Eastbourne after a pensioner fell in her home while her oven was blazing, say firefighters.

Crews were sent to a property in Willingdon at 11.22 on Monday morning (July 8), where an elderly woman had fallen in her bedroom but had the presence of mind to use her lifeline to call for assistance.

She told them that she was cooking her lunch in her oven, which raised concerns about a possible fire risk, said the fire service.

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Blue Watch from Eastbourne Community Fire Station were able to come to her rescue.

Watch Manager Derek Hamilton said, “We arrived, gained access using a neighbour’s key and turned off the oven and supported the lady until arrival of family, friends and paramedics.

“Undoubtedly, this incident could have become very serious, if the resident did not have access to Lifeline.

“This also shows how important it is to leave a key with a relative, or neighbour, in case of an emergency such as this one.

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Working smoke alarms also provide an early warning of a fire, giving a resident time to escape. Please test these alarms, which should be positioned on every level of a property, on a weekly basis.”

Find out how you can support elderly or vulnerable friends and relatives, and about free Home Safety Visits, at: https://www.esfrs.org/your-safety/home-safety-visits/

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