A neighbour saved two elderly people’s lives after a fire broke out in their house.
Smoke travelled from the ground floor of their house in Crownhill Road, Harlesden, and set off a neighbour’s smoke alarm, as theirs didn’t have a battery.
The fire was in a cupboard under the stairs and is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault. The man and woman were oblivious to the fire as the smoke which filled their home.
Firefighters arrived shortly before 3am this morning (Feburary 28) and the fire was under control by 3.25am.
Willesden fire station’s watch manager Andy Allen, who was at the scene, said: “When we arrived, the elderly couple were still in the house, which was completely filled with smoke. The pair were incredibly lucky because had it not been for their neighbour’s smoke alarm going off, this could have had tragic consequences. It’s useless having a smoke alarm without a working battery so I’d urge everyone to make sure they have at least one smoke alarm on each floor and test it regularly.”
Part of the ground floor of the house in Crownhill Road in Harlesden was damaged by fire. Firefighters in breathing apparatus led the man and the woman to safety. They were both suffering from smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews.
