Dogs rescued from Wigan house fire

Crews from Wigan and Hindley were called to a property on Rose Avenue in Beech Hill on Monday night to to reports of a house fire.

On arriving, at around 9.30pm, they discovered that a woman living at the property had managed to escape the smoke-logged house but was unable to reach her dogs, two Chihuahuas.

Jeff Westwell, crew manager at Wigan, was one of the team who managed to retrieve the beloved pets.

“They are okay,” he said. “They were snarling at the firefighters on the way out so I think they’re fine.”

Crews believe that the fire broke out after one of the hobs was left on.

Crew manager Westwell said that it was an example of how people can become distracted whilst cooking, which can lead to serious incidents.

“The woman had turned the hob on or forgotten to turn it off,” he said.

“She had come in and put some bags on the hob and then walked away.

“Luckily there wasn’t a lot of fire damage however you do get a lot of smoke from these types of incidents.

“I would really like to get the message out there that people need to take care not to become distracted when they are cooking.”

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service has said that the “majority” of house fires that crews are called to start in the kitchen.

General advice includes leaving wires, tea towels and clothes well away from the cooker.

For more safety tips, visit www.manchesterfire.gov.uk/keeping-you-safe