Family of five rescued from house fire in Longsight
12-year-old is in a serious condition
Last updated 3rd Nov 2017
Five people have been rescued by firefighters after a blaze broke out at a house in Longsight overnight.
Crews were called to the mid-terraced house in Plymouth Grove, at 2.35am, (Friday, November 3).
999 call handlers from North West Fire Control gave vital lifesaving advice to the family inside as firefighters from Gorton and Moss Side raced to the scene.
When officers arrived they found a fire in the kitchen that is thought to have been caused by a tumble dryer left on. They used four breathing apparatus, two hose reels and two ladders to rescue the family and put the fire out.
Four adults aged 65, 61, 41 and 18, and a child aged 12 were rescued from the blaze by firefighters and treated on the scene by fire crew and paramedics.
All five were taken to hospital where the 12-year-old is in a serious condition.
Station Manager Merl Forrer, who was in charge of the incident, said: “When crews arrived there were two adults on the porch who’d managed to escape through a window and they were rescued by firefighters using a ladder. Two others were at the windows of the house and were also rescued by firefighters.
“One boy was unable to escape and was rescued from the landing by firefighters where he was found in a serious condition. Crews and paramedics treated him and he was taken to hospital.
“This was difficult incident for our firefighters but it shows just how important it is to have a working smoke alarm on each floor of your home. Thankfully, the family were woken by the noise of the alarm and four of them were able to escape with the help of crew through upstairs windows.
“I would urge people to educate themselves on the dangers of using tumble dryers when out of the house or when you’re asleep at night. Remove fluff and lint after every use and never cover the vents or any other openings. Sweep or vacuum the areas around the dryer to stop fluff building up and never use them while sleeping or away from home.
“It’s also important to plan your escape route and practice it with your family to ensure you can escape quickly in a fire.”
For further advice on home fire safety please visit http://manchesterfire.gov.uk/fire_safety_advice/
To book a free Safe and Well visit please contact 0800 555 815