A 94 year old woman was rescued by firefighters from her Waunfawr home this morning after a Careline system alerted North Wales Fire and Rescue Service to a fire in her home.

Crews from Caernarfon and Llanberis were called to the property at 07.52hrs this morning (Tuesday 10^th May) and led the woman from her first floor bedroom to safety.

Firefighters tackled the fire affecting the boiler in the ground floor utility room using four breathing apparatus and two hose reel jets.

The woman has been transferred to hospital for precautionary checks.

The cause of the fire is thought to be a defective boiler.

Dave Evans, Partnership Manager, Gwynedd and Môn from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: "This incident clearly highlights the value of these alarms in helping to protect our residents – upon arrival of the firefighters, the occupant was unaware of the fire developing downstairs.

“We were notified by Careline that the smoke alarm had been activated at the property, and sent out crews to investigate. These Careline alarms are monitored 24/7 by a specialist company –therefore the call is automatically made to the fire and rescue service.

“As all the internal doors within the property were closed, this significantly slowed fire spread in the property – effectively protecting the resident. As part of a night time routine, we advise all residents to close internal doors and switch off all electrical appliances not designed to be left switched on.

“The combination of the closed doors and the alarm helped prevent a tragedy here in Waunfawr this morning. This alarm proved invaluable as it gave us an early warning that there was a problem at the address and enabled emergency services to respond quickly. The incident also highlights to everyone the importance of having working smoke alarms fitted in their home.

“We’ve been working with community alarm system providers across North Wales for a number of years, and are currently working towards upgrading units across the region using Welsh Government funding – helping to protect those at risk of being injured by fire within our communities.”

For advice on safety in the home please visit www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk.