Woman, 91, rescued by fire service in Crawley Down

An elderly woman has been rescued from a property in Crawley Down by the fire service.
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A 91-year-old resident was rescued from a warden assisted property on Burleigh Way in Crawley Down at 11:18am on Friday after Careline alerted the fire service that she was in danger.

Upon arrival firefighters from Turners Hill could hear the smoke alarm sounding from inside the property, but were unable to get a response from the resident inside, according to West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.

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Watch commander at Turners Hill, Lee Aggett, said: “We looked through the letterbox to see if we could see anything and noticed quite a bit of smoke inside the property.

West Sussex Fire and Rescue stock imageWest Sussex Fire and Rescue stock image
West Sussex Fire and Rescue stock image

“We shouted through the letterbox and got a response from the elderly resident.

“As this happened a warden arrived with a key, and we were able to enter the property and assisted a 91-year-old wheelchair bound lady, who had started to make her way out of the bedroom, out of the property.

“We believe the lady was asleep and did not hear the alarm.”

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The source of the smoke was a small fire involving the plastic handle on a saucepan lid which had overheated on the hob, according to Watch commander Aggett.

He added: “We extinguished this with water from the tap.

“We remained on the scene to ventilate the property and to assist the occupier until the ambulance arrived.

“Although this fire may only have been a small incident on this occasion, we believe that the fact the alarm didn’t wake the occupier could have resulted in the small fire spreading quickly through the property if it hadn’t been for the Careline system alerting us to the incident.

“The resident’s Careline smoke alarm gave us early warning that something was wrong, and meant we could be on scene within minutes to ensure this fire didn’t get out of hand and cause further damage.

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“The Careline system is ideal for residents who are less mobile, and means that help is just the press of a button away.”

For more information on equipment and telecare services such as Careline visit www.westsussexconnecttosupport.org/living-independently/equipment/

West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service is urging residents to close their doors before going to bed or leaving their property, in a bid to minimise the damage a fire can cause.

This can prevent the spread of a fire and toxic smoke by up to 20 minutes.

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If you would like to arrange a Safe and Well visit, or for more information on the services available, visit https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/fire-emergencies-and-crime/west-sussex-fire-and-rescue-service/home-fire-safety/safe-and-well-visit/

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