Smoke alarm helps save family after village blaze

Firefighters have stressed the importance of a working smoke alarm after a sleeping family escaped a blaze at village home.
Fire EMN-150727-101345001Fire EMN-150727-101345001
Fire EMN-150727-101345001

Two crews from Horsham were called to New Road in Billingshurst after a fire started in a first floor bedroom just after 5am this morning (March 24).

After arriving at the scene firefighters discovered the blaze had started in a chimney.

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Crews wearing breathing apparatus used two hose reels and a chimney kit to fight the flames.

The fire was extinguished by 6.30am but crews remained on the scene, carrying out investigations until 10am.

Twenty per cent of the first floor was damaged by the flames and a further 30 per cent was damaged by smoke. It is being treated as an accident.

A spokesman for the fire service said the family was sleeping at the time and had been woken by their smoke alarm.

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Crews stressed the importance of a working smoke alarm which meant the family had been able to escape without any injuries.

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