Three escape Bognor house fire

Three people had a lucky escape after a first floor fire in a Bognor Regis house.

The blaze began in a utility room of the mid-terraced property in Essex Road.

One of the occupants in a nearby bedroom was alerted to the danger when a smoke alarm sounded.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He investigated and found the fire gaining strength in the utility room and the adjoining bathroom.

The two other occupants were cooking downstairs and thought they had set off the alarm accidentally.

They called the fire brigade just before 1.30pm on Sunday (May 3) once they realised the situation.

Two fire engines from Bognor arrived within four minutes. The firefighters were faced with smoke pouring from the windows and the roof of the house.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Crew commander Russell Moore said: "The fire took hold on the first floor and spread through two rooms before the man on the first floor awoke to find his bedroom filling with smoke.

"When he went to investigate, he found the first and second floors extremely smoke logged before running downstairs to alert his housemates.

"He suffered minor burns to his feet from his radiated heat and smoke inhalation."

The extent of the fire led to the initial two fire crews to request help from two others from Chichester.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They brought the fire under control and recovered three cats who were taken to a local vet for a check over. They are recovering well.

The firefighters found only smoke alarm in the house. This was in the right place but further alarms on the second and third floors would have alerted the occupants to the blaze much earlier.

"Although the smoke alarms in the house weren't ideal," Crew Commander Moore said, "this once again shows how a working smoke alarm has helped to save the lives of occupants as they were alerted to the fire before it became any worse."

Crews spent time after the blaze had been put out, after almost an hour and a quarter, leafleting the surrounding area about the home fire safety checks carried out by the fire and rescue service.

Related topics: