Presents saved in Ramsgate blaze
It is believed the fire started in the roof of the semi-detached home in Colombo Square, after a pair of trousers was hung over an electric fire.
Ramsgate fire station manager Paul Newman was at the scene with crews from Thanet and Margate. He said: “The fire developed rapidly, spreading from the roof to the first floor. Fortunately, the residents, one adult and three children, managed to escape unharmed before we arrived.”
The family were too distressed to speak about the fire but Mr Newman said it wasn’t all bad news. He said: “A little boy lives in the house and it’s his birthday today. Luckily we managed to rescue his birthday and Christmas presents as well as other possession from the ground floor. I’m also glad we stopped the fire from spreading to the house next door unfortunately the home in which it began was left badly damaged, resulting in roof collapse and serious destruction to the first floor.
“Although the family managed to escape unharmed, the home did not have fitted working smoke alarms which could have provided an early warning to the fire. Having one fitted could have alerted the family to the fire sooner, allowing fire crews to get to the incident quicker, giving the fire less time to develop and resulting in less damage.”
Firefighters will be visiting the Newington to offer fire safety advice and free home safety visits, during which, if necessary, smoke alarms will be fitted free of charge.
To take advantage of this service call Kent Fire and Rescue Service for free on 0800 923 7000.
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