The dangers of electrical fires and the importance of having working smoke alarms fitted in your home are being highlighted after a family of three people and a dog escaped a fire in their home in Eryrys, near Mold in the early hours of this morning.

Crews from Mold, Ruthin and Buckley were called to the property at 04.47hrs this morning, Tuesday April 25 to tackle a fire originating in the conservatory area.

A couple and their adult daughter were in the property at the time of the fire.

The mother was alerted to the fire after coming down stairs and being faced with a fire in the conservatory.  She alerted her family before escaping from a down stairs window. The father and daughter were upstairs and were given fire survival advice by fire and rescue control staff before being helped from their home by firefighters.

All three were taken to the hospital for precautionary checks.

A dog was also rescued from the property.

The fire is thought to have been started by an electrical fault.

There were no working smoke alarms fitted in the property.

Jane Honey from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said:

“Smoke alarms give an early warning which allow you the opportunity to escape as quickly as possible from a fire in your home.

“This family were extremely lucky to have escaped with their lives. Please ensure that you have working smoke alarms fitted on every floor of your home and test them weekly.  Also, it’s important to know what to do in the event of a fire and have a well practised escape route. Fortunately control operators were able to give advice at this incident to help the residents who were upstairs in the property stay as safe as possible until the arrival of fire and rescue crews.

“This fire highlights the danger of electrical fires - they can strike anytime, anywhere. Our advice is to be as prepared as possible in the event of fire, by ensuring that working smoke alarms are fitted in your home and that you have clear escape routes to enable you and your family to exit your home as quickly as possible.

"It's important to operate appliances according to the manufacturer instructions and to check electrical items and leads for signs of damage or wear. So many residents use extension cables which are coiled- up and we would recommend that they are fully unwound prior to their use.

"There are some simple steps you can take to help prevent an electrical fire in your home. They include:
- DON'T overload plug sockets
- DO Regularly check for worn or frayed wires
- DO Unplug appliances when not in use
- DO Keep appliances clean and in good working order

- DO fully unwind extension cables prior to their use.

“Why not try out our 'ampage' calculator on our website and facebook page –a visit www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk  - it tells you if you are overloading your sockets and helps you to stay electrically safe."