A pensioner is lucky to be alive after her dog alerted her to the danger of a fire at her home
Lillian Colling, 87, was sitting in the front room of her house in Frinton Road, Kirby, when the blaze started in the kitchen.
The fire took hold and it was only because of the four-year-old dog barking and raising the alarm that Mrs Colling got out of the property so quickly.
Colin Batten, station officer at Frinton, said the pensioner had managed to get out by the time his two crews arrived at about 6pm last night.
"She was outside the house watching her property go up in smoke," he said.
"Our firefighters treated her for smoke inhalation and then we put her in the care of the paramedics when they arrived.
"She did not end up going to hospital and went home with her brother who collected her after the ambulance crew had discharged her."
Mr Batten said two crews tackled the blaze, which took about 20 minutes to get under control.
Mr Batten said the crews managed to rescue the dog ,which was still inside when they arrived.
He said the kitchen was virtually destroyed and there was a lot of smoke damage to the house.
The cause of the blaze was a chip pan being left on a gas cooker.
Published Tuesday, April 8, 2003
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