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Firemen pull three from house inferno

Ben Turner
28/ 5/2004

FIREFIGHTERS smashed their way into a blazing house to lead three people to safety.

Mary Higgins, aged 42, her 21-year-old son Kenny and a 15-year-old friend, Elizabeth Scoble, barricaded themselves in a bedroom at a terraced house in Alice Street, Hamer, when they realised a downstairs room was 'like an inferno'. The television, which had been left switched on, is believed to have exploded.

The blaze, at 3.45 yesterday morning, woke neighbours, who heard a window 'blow out' and immediately called the fire service.

When they arrived, fire crews saw 10ft flames leaping out of the lounge window. It was the intensity of the blaze that stopped the three from getting out of the house.

They were rescued when firemen put ladders up to the bedroom window, smashed the glass and guided the trio to safety.

Leading fire officer John Ruddell said: "They were very, very lucky. If they hadn't closed the bedroom door behind them, they would have been dead."

"They had the good sense to jam a duvet behind the door and that prevented any of the thick, choking smoke getting into the room."

All three were taken to Rochdale Infirmary and immediately transferred to the resuscitation room with suspected lung damage. Their condition is not thought to be serious.

The kitchen of the house was destroyed.

Mr Ruddell stressed the importance of smoke alarms in such incidents. Anyone wanting to arrange free installation should call 0800 555 815.