Fermanagh Blaze Pair Rescued

A fire service control operator has this morning played a vital role in saving two women from serious injury in a Co Fermanagh house fire.

The drama happened in the early hours of this morning when a suspected arson attack on a house in Enniskillen trapped the occupants inside.

The fire service said today that the women were given advice over the phone by its control room staff on how to block the smoke from coming into the room in which they were trapped.

The pair was initially alerted by a smoke detector activating and then raised the alarm over the phone as they were unable to get out of the upstairs bedroom because of the heavily smoke-logged property.

The emergency services responded to the scene and discovered that flammable material was put through the letterbox of the house on Derrin Road and set alight.

The fire destroyed the plastic front door, filling the house with thick black smoke.

After being advised and reassured by the fire service control room staff, the women, aged 17 and 22, were brought to safety by fire fighters and taken to the Erne Hospital.

They were treated there for the effects of breathing in smoke but otherwise escaped serious injuries.

However, the police believe that the incident could have resulted in two deaths and that they had a lucky escape.

They said the blaze broke out about 3.20am on Monday and noted that children who had been staying in the house recently, were fortunately not there on Sunday night.

Also commenting, the NBI Fire Service's Station Commander Robbie Bryson said: "The fire in the hallway was quite bad and there was a lot of acrid smoke all through the house.

"Had it not been for the smoke alarm and the advice they were given, it could have been a lot worse."

(BMcC)