HARLOW: Elderly couple flee home after fire

11:51am Saturday 8th March 2008

AN elderly couple were taken to hospital after fleeing their home when a fire broke out while they were sleeping this morning (Saturday).

The husband and wife, an 85-year-old man and 79-year-old woman, fled through the back garden of their home, in Bishopsfield, Harlow, after the blaze broke out.

They were taken by ambulance to Princess Alexandra Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation and are now staying in temporary accommodation as the blaze has exposed asbestos linings in their home.

A neighbour of the couple phoned the police at 4am after he saw their house was on fire.

Two fire crews were called to the terraced property wearing breathing apparatus and put out the flames at around 4.53am.

An investigation into the cause of the blaze will be carried out jointly between the Police and fire service.

Crews requested the attendance of the Red Cross Victim Support Unit.

Station officer John Convey, the officer in charge, said: "Crews did an excellent job in restricting the fire spread and we managed to contain the fire to the foyer of the bungalow and the adjoining bin shed where it started.

"The layout of the properties was that there was a walkway past a lot of bungalows and a small bin shed adjoining the front door into the foyer of the bungalow.

"By the time we arrived, the fire had burned through the bin store and was moving up into the roof.

"We saw the elderly couple through a letterbox and told them to go as quickly as possible to their garden to safety and then concentrated on getting the incident under control because of the adjoining risks. After the initial fire was out, crews cut away parts of the ceiling just to make sure the fire was fully out.

"There was no smoke alarm in the property so firefighters will revisit the area this morning in a 'hot strike' to warn residents of the dangers from fire and to arrange to fit smoke alarms.

"We can only urge people of the value of smoke alarms and would ask everyone to get them fitted. Think particularly of elderly relatives and other vulnerable people within your family and do something today to protect their lives."

Investigating police officer DC Dixie Dean said: "At this stage we don't know how the fire started. The firefighters themselves will be compiling a report from the evidence they have gathered in the meantime we are appealing for witnesses who may have seen anything or anyone acting suspiciously on the road or surrounding areas to contact us."

Anyone with information, particularly about activity outside the house between 3.30am and 4am should call Harlow police on 01279 641212.