Mum is saved by firefighters

IPSWICH: A mum of two knows she is lucky to be alive today after she fell asleep and a pan caught fire.

The first Christine Kerr knew of the blaze in her Downside Close home was when fire crews smashed her front door down in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Still shaken by her ordeal, the 48-year-old said she had slept through the sound of the smoke alarm and said she is extremely grateful to the firefighters who saved her life.

She said: “The firefighters did a marvelous job, where would we be without them? I am just grateful to still be here.”

The drama began at 3.06am on Saturday morning. A neighbour called the fire brigade and three fire crews were sent to the scene.

Ms Kerr, said: “I had been at a friend's and wanted something to eat so I put some food on but I got a phone call saying that my mum was going through bypass surgery in Scotland and I forgot that I had put some meat on.

“I fell asleep and woke up with the fire brigade kicking the door.

“I am very grateful to the firefighters because I never heard the alarm.

“It is not something that I would normally do but it was such a fright being woken up by them.

“I am just relieved and pleased that it was not as bad as it could have been.”

Two fire engines from Princes Street fire station and one from Colchester Road attended the scene.

Geoff Pyke, group manager for Suffolk fire service, said: “The main thing is that cooking at night is something which we do not recommend because often people do fall asleep, especially if they have been out enjoying themselves. Smoke is the killer in fires, that is the most hazardous thing to people and that is why we encourage everybody to have a working smoke detector.”

Ms Kerr was treated for smoke inhalation. The pan blaze resulted in slight smoke damage to the property and the incident was over by 3.22am.

n. Has the fire service saved your life? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or email eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk