A FIRE chief has emphasised the importance of smoke alarms after emergency services were called to a blaze at a house in Barrow.

Crews from Barrow and Ulverston were called at 8.35pm on Saturday to a fire at a property on Earle Street.

The fire started after a tumble dryer at the rear of the property caught alight.

The fire then spread to a fridge and washing machine in the same room.

A woman and a child were in the property at the time of the fire.

The house did not have smoke alarms but the mother realised there was a fire. She closed the door to stop the fire from spreading.

She then took the child out of the house to a neighbour before calling for fire services.

Two fire engines and a rapid response vehicle attended the fire and two firefighters went in to the property with breathing apparatus and a hose reel to extinguish the blaze before using a Positive Pressure Ventilation Fan to remove any smoke that was still in the building.

Emergency services also isolated the water and gas as a precaution.

Ian Westall, watch manager at Barrow Fire Station, praised the woman for compartmentalising the fire by closing the door and getting out of the property as soon as possible.

He said: “She did the right thing by closing the door and not trying to put the fire out herself.

“She didn’t have smoke alarms which we have now installed free of charge and anyone who wants smoke alarms installed free of charge should get in contact.”