THE urgent action of two young sisters out exercising in Redditch may have prevented a major tragedy.
On the evening of February 10, they noticed smoke coming from a garage of a home in Oakenshaw Road.
They called the fire service and banged on the door of the house, altering a family of four.
Everyone was able to escape from the house but sadly the blaze destroyed the garage and spread up to the roof.
Swift and decisive action by the fire crews prevented the fire, caused by an electrical fault, from spreading to the house next door.
A dad of two children, living at the address, suffered minor burns to his hand.
“It’s great news that the family was able to escape to safety with just one of the occupants of the house suffering a minor injury,” said Station Commander Jon Laight, the senior officer at the scene.
“But it’s a good opportunity to remind people to take extra care at the moment and not to keep too many items in their garages or the rooms of their homes and to remember the basics of electrical fire safety.”
Commander Laight is urging others not overload plug sockets and never leave portable heaters unattended or on while sleeping.
He also said to regularly inspect heaters and worn or frayed wires for damage.