A smoke alarm saved a sheltered housing complex of 51 one- and two-bedroom flats after a fire broke out in the Mayfair Court retirement flats in Timperley, Cheshire.

Fire crews from Sale, Stretford and Wythenshawe stations arrived to find a well-developed fire that had started in the bedroom of a 94 year old’s ground floor flat. The woman fled the flames and smoke after being alerted by a smoke alarm.

Manager, Ben Levy, said: “This lady was very lucky. Had she not had a working smoke alarm it could have resulted in a very serious incident.Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property and worked very hard to control and extinguish the fire and prevent it spreading.”

Commercial buildings, non-domestic and multi-occupancy premises in England and Wales are already forced to undertake a 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment carried out under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

While the overwhelming majority of premises do this, if the assessment is thought to have been carried out to an insufficient extent, the Responsible Person can face an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison.

Original sources

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service

HousingCare.org