At 11:04 pm on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) received reports of a house fire on Amity Road, in Reading, United Kingdom.
Crews and officers from the Wokingham Road, Dee Road and Caversham Road Fire Stations, which come under the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, were sent to the scene.
Fire survival guidance
Thames Valley Fire Control Service gave the occupants crucial fire survival guidance over the phone
Thames Valley Fire Control Service gave the occupants crucial fire survival guidance over the phone, ultimately leading them out of the property from the rear exit, while four firefighters in breathing apparatus entered the home from the front entrance.
Two hose reels were used to extinguish the fire and due to smoke logging in the property, the firefighters then used a fan to ventilate the area. The occupants were placed in the care of South Central Ambulance Service, post their rescue.
Fitted smoke alarms detect electrical fire
The fire is believed to be an accidental electrical fire. Fortunately, the family living there had working smoke alarms fitted in the property that alerted them to the fire, giving them time to escape.
Chris Holland, the Group Manager for the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS), said “This incident reinforces the importance of always having working, fitted smoke alarms in your property, which will provide warning of a fire.”
Chris Holland adds, “These will give you vital time to safely exit the property and alert the fire and rescue service. There is no doubt that this family’s working smoke alarms alerting them did save their lives.”