After escaping a blaze at their home yesterday (Sunday), a local family has stressed the importance of home fire safety checks.

The Richie family were woken up by the sound of their fire alarms, at their home in Sandyke Road, in Broad Haven, in the early hours of the morning.

Two fire appliances, police and ambulance attended the property, where fire fighters were confronted with a heavily smoke-logged building.

They rapidly brought the situation under control and limited further damage, using four breathing apparatus, a hose reel, a thermal imaging camera and a positive pressure ventilation fan.

The fire, which was confined to the utility room of the house, destroyed the washing machine and caused moderate smoke damage throughout the remainder of the house.

Mr Richie said: "I had the home fire safety check done by the fire service when my elderly mother was living with us.

"We were woken by the smoke alarms and heard the dog barking. I discovered smoke percolating through the house and got my wife and five-year-old son up, left the house and called the fire service. This could have been so much worse if we hadn’t been woken by the alarms."

Station manager David Hancock, who attended the incident, said: "Whilst this is an unwelcome event to befall any family, the presence of working smoke alarms undoubtedly made a significant difference on this occasion.

"The family were roused quickly from their sleep by the smoke alarms which gave them a better chance of getting out of the property and consequently meant we received an earlier call which allowed us to limit the damage.

"I can’t stress enough the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home as is clearly indicated in this case."

To request a home fire safety assessment call the fire service on 08001 691234.