Elderly woman escapes house fire in Thornhill

Firefighters were called to a house in The Combs, Thornhill, at around 3.30am today (Wednesday) when a passer-by found the woman and raised the alarm.

Two pumps from Dewsbury fire station spent more than two hours bringing the blaze in the ground floor of the terraced home under control.

Watch commander Andy Dickinson said: “The fire had been going a while. There was a lot of heat damage.

“We’re pretty sure it was an accident but we’ve had our fire investigator out.”

The woman was treated by paramedics and was being cared for by her grandson.

Mr Dickinson said: “She did have a smoke alarm. It didn’t sound initially because it was at the bottom of the stairs, not in the room where the fire began.

“She smelled smoke though and that’s why she got out.”