A FAMILY-of-five had a lucky escape after their smoke alarms alerted them to a fire in their kitchen.

Firefighters from Dee Road, Caversham Road and Wokingham Road were all sent to The Meadway in Tilehurst at around 11.20pm on Tuesday.

The family had managed to escape from the window by the time emergency services arrived.

They were then given oxygen therapy for smoke inhalation and received further treatement from paramedics.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus forced entry used a hose reel to extinguish the blaze.

Crews were on the scene for around an hour and 15 minutes.

Steve Beard, a station manager for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We regularly remind residents of the importance of having smoke alarms and testing them weekly and this incident reinforces this message.

"Fortunately, this family escaped but it could have been a lot worse if they hadn’t been alerted by the detectors.”

The fire service issued the following advice:

  • Install smoke alarms in your home, following the manufacturer’s instructions
  • Test smoke alarms every week to make sure they are working
  • The best places to fit them are at the bottom of the stairs, with further smoke alarms on each stair landing
  • The ideal position is on the ceiling, as near as possible to the centre of the room, hallway or landing

Visit: www.rbfrs.co.uk/your-safety/safety-at-home/smoke-alarms for more information.