FIRE chiefs appealed to the public to check their smoke alarms after an elderly Netherton woman had a narrow escape.
Two fire engines from Huddersfield fire station were called to a house fire in Martin Drive, Netherton, in the early hours of Friday (May 27).
They discovered a small blaze in the smoke-filled kitchen of the house, which was occupied by a woman in her 90’s.
The firemen arrived on the scene promptly and were able to deal with the fire before it spread. They had been alerted by staff at an alarm monitoring station after the woman’s fire alarm had been activated.
The monitoring station had tried to contact the elderly householder by telephone, but she was in a confused state.
It is believed that she had mistakenly switched on the grill before retiring to bed.
Huddersfield watch commander Andy Wooler said: "If the fire had gone undetected, it would have been a lot more severe.
"Because the lady had a working alarm fitted, we were alerted early and were able to deal with the situation quickly.
"We urge everybody to fit a smoke alarm if they haven’t already got one.
"Householders with existing smoke alarms must ensure that they are working properly.
"It is no good just having them sitting on ceilings, they must be checked regularly."
