Flat fire prompts warning for students to test smoke alarms

Students living in Manchester are being advised to test all smoke alarms in their place of residence after a flat fire on the 18th of October.

There was a small fire in the bedroom of a flat on the second floor on Bombay Street, Manchester, at 5:06am where firefighters rescued a student after a neighbour called the fire service.

Watch Manager Andy Simister stated: “It was a neighbour in the next-door flat who called the fire service after their own smoke alarm sounded. When they went to investigate, they noticed smoke coming from underneath the door of the adjacent flat and did exactly the right thing by calling 999.

“The property was occupied by students and although there was a smoke alarm inside, it was not working. This is a timely reminder to all homeowners, and especially students who have just moved into accommodation, to test their smoke alarms are working by simply pressing the test button. Every floor of a rented property should have a working smoke alarm that is tested regularly.”

Four fire service crews from Moss Side and Manchester Central were called out to the flat. The crew forced their way into the residence, wearing breathing apparatus, using a hose reel and a positive pressure ventilation fan to extinguish the fire and clear the smoke in the air.

The student suffered from the effects of smoke inhalation, but did not need to go to hospital after being treated on scene by paramedics.

The fire service were at the scene for one hour.

The cause of the fire was accidental; it is believed that a storage heater may have been the source.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service have reminded students to keep the area around storage heaters clear, and not to block them with any clothing or other easily combustible materials.