Biddulph OAP's life saved by firemen after bungalow blaze

A 71-YEAR-OLD woman was taken to hospital after collapsing as a fire broke out at her home.

Mabel Bailey was found on the floor of the property in Biddulph in the early hours of yesterday.

Firefighters from Biddulph and Sandyford forced their way into the Washington Close bungalow after being alerted by a smoke alarm just after 5.30am.

Staff at Your Housing Group, which owns Miss Bailey’s home, could hear her coughing through the monitoring system, but she was unable to speak.

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She was taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire (UHNS) to be treated for smoke inhalation and undergo further assessment and was later transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Birmingham.

Officers from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue service are now trying to establish the cause of the fire.

Station manager Mark Wilson said: “The fire was in the living room and firefighters found the woman on the floor.

“Firefighters administered oxygen therapy to the woman before she was taken to hospital.

“One hose reel jet was used to extinguish the fire which is now under investigation.”

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, was awoken by the sound of the fire engine outside the bungalow.

The pensioner said: “I looked outside and saw that there was a fire.

“Nobody has told me how it was started.

“It’s a shock something like his has happened because it’s normally a really quiet, safe place to live.

“We are a close-knit community and all try and look out for each other.”

Vicki Heyes, marketing and communications manager at Your Housing, praised the firefighters for their response.

She said: “Miss Bailey’s home has an assistive technology smoke alarm which automatically informs our partner Tunstall that there is smoke in the property.

“They received this alert at 5.37am and the fire and ambulance services were immediately called and arrived at Washington Close within 10 minutes.

“Our thoughts are with Miss Bailey and her family and we will be doing everything in our power to support them at this difficult time.

“We would also like to praise and extend our thanks to Staffordshire Fire and Rescue for their speedy response.”

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman added: “We were called by Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service at 5.45am yesterday to reports of a woman with smoke inhalation.

“A community paramedic in a rapid response vehicle, a paramedic area support officer in a rapid response vehicle and an ambulance crew attended.

“The woman was taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire for further assessment and treatment.”