Last updated at 16:38, Monday, 04 March 2013

FIREFIGHTERS found a woman on the pavement after she jumped out of a first-floor window when fire engulfed her flat.

SCENE The first-floor window from which a woman, aged in her 50s, is believed to have jumped following a fire in Lesh Lane, Barrow

Two fire engines from Barrow and one from Walney were called to a flat fire in Lesh Lane just after midnight, in the early hours of Sunday.

The alarm was raised by a person living in the flat below, who called 999 to say a woman had jumped because of the fire.

On arrival, the crews found a woman, aged around 50, lying on the pavement outside the flat.

She was treated by paramedics and taken to Furness General Hospital.

Barrow station manager Roger Exley yesterday said he was unsure of the extent of the woman’s injuries, but believed they were a result of the fall, rather than the fire.

He said the police were aware of the incident, but yesterday had not yet had chance to interview the woman.

The fire was yesterday under investigation and Mr Exley said the cause was still unknown.

He said: “As the crews arrived, we found one female, about 50, lying on the floor of the pavement next to the property and we believe she has come out of the first-floor window of the property because of the nature of the fire.”

The upstairs flat was well alight when the crews attended.

Mr Exley said the fire had caused damage at the front door and up the stairs to the flat on the first floor.

Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used two hose reels and a large fan to extinguish the blaze.

They entered the property believing other people may have been inside, but found no-one else.

All the crews had returned to base by 1.53am.

By early yesterday afternoon the entrance to the flat had been boarded up and the upstairs windows were still open, with the inside visibly charred.

The neighbour from the adjacent flat said: “I slept right through it. I woke up this morning and that (the boarded door) was the first thing I saw.

“I was quite surprised by it.”

Mr Exley advised people to shut doors when they go to bed to help prevent smoke and fires spreading – and also to have a working smoke alarm in the home.

First published at 16:27, Monday, 04 March 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk