A COUPLE in their seventies had a lucky escape after a fire tore through their Jordanston home on Monday (October 21) morning.

Cyril and Rose Evans were treated for smoke inhalation at Withybush Hospital after escaping the fire at St Mary’s Park, shortly before 6am.

Two crews from Milford Haven and one from Pembroke Dock attended the fire, which was thought to have been caused by an electrical fault in the lounge.Firefighters were at the scene until 8.14am.

The couple’s son, Paul, who was at the house on Tuesday afternoon, said his parents home was “ruined” inside, and both the first and second floor had been “gutted” in the blaze.

“They won’t be able to come back here for some time,” he said.

“Mum and dad have lost everything – all their photos, everything. Luckily they were insured.

“It’s absolutely devastating for this to happen before Christmas,” added Paul, whose parents will be staying with family.

Mr and Mrs Evans raised the alarm, after discovering flames on the ground floor.

“We think it started from the main fuse box,” said Paul.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service assistant count commander Dai Swan highlighted the importance of having smoke alarms fitted at home.

“If the property had smoke alarms fitted, the alarm would have been raised sooner and that would have reduced the substantial damage to the ground floor,” said Mr Swan.

“Small electrical faults such as this, which result in the over-heating of cables, would have triggered a smoke alarm.

“The fire was early in the morning when everyone was asleep so nobody would have smelt it. Of course, smoke alarms do not sleep.”

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 5.56am on Monday to reports of a fire at a property on St Mary’s Park in Jordanston, Milford Haven.

“We sent two emergency ambulances to the scene, and two casualties were taken to Withybush General Hospital.”

For more information on free home fire safety checks go to http://www.mawwfire.gov.uk.