Elderly woman rescued from Telford house fire
An elderly woman had to be rescued by firefighters from an early morning blaze in her house in Telford.
Neighbours had tried to help the woman, who is in her early 80s, clear from her home in Saxon Court in Leegomery – but were forced back by dense smoke filling the ground floor of the building.
Firefighters were then able to free the woman, who was given medical attention at the scene and then taken to hospital for further treatment for smoke inhalation. She was said to be in a serious condition.
The fire, which broke out at around 4.30am, is not being treated as suspicious but investigations are being carried out to establish the cause.
Adam Matthews, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service station manager based at Telford, said: "Neighbours had attempted to gain access to the premises prior to our arrival but due to the dense smoke were unable to do so.
"The lady was found on the ground floor of a semi-detached house. She was suffering from smoke inhalation and was in a serious condition.
"The whole of the house was heavily smoke-logged and has been severely damaged by smoke and heat. Investigations into the cause of the fire are still ongoing but the incident is not being treated as suspicious."
"I would like to take this opportunity to remind people of the importance of having working smoke detectors in their premises with a minimum of one on each floor level. I would also ask that if people have elderly neighbours who live alone please take a few minutes to see they are ok and that their smoke alarms work by testing them regularly."
