Cheselbourne: Trapped elderly couple rescued from house fire

Firefighters have rescued an elderly couple who were trapped in their upstairs bedroom after a fire broke out on the ground floor.

The couple became stranded in their house in Cheselbourne, Dorset, after an electrical fire on Thursday.

They were told to block the door's gap and put wet towels over their faces to keep them safe from the smoke by a 999 call handler until crews arrived.

Crews brought the pair out of the house using smoke hoods.

Station manager Paul Webber, of Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue, said: "Despite what must have been a terrifying experience, this couple did everything they were told to by our control room. This kept them safe until they could be rescued.

"Fire escape hoods have only been in use for a few years but they were a vital part of bringing these people to safety."

The smoke hoods give up to 15 minutes protection from smoke by filtering out toxic fire-related gases.

They are used when people cannot get out from a smoke-filled property via another route, like a window using a ladder.

The fire service is urging people to think about what they would do in the event of a fire and have an escape plan in place.

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