Mum and Son Stop House Blaze Dead in Its Tracks
A quick-thinking mum and her 10-year-old son have been hailed heroes after preventing a tumble dryer fire from turning into a deadly explosion in Horsham.
Smoke Smell Sparks Life-Saving Action
Vicki Smith was working from home in her kitchen on Tuesday afternoon when she caught the whiff of burning coming from the garage. Opening the door, she found smoke pouring from the tumble dryer.
“I immediately shouted to Ollie and told him to dial 999 for the fire service and to get out of the house with the dog and go to the neighbour’s house,”
said Vicki. “I then unplugged the tumble dryer to isolate the power.”
What happened next was pure instinct. Realising the gas mains and boiler were dangerously close to the smouldering machine, Vicki decided to remove the tumble dryer from the garage.
She threw a wet towel over it before grabbing a fire blanket. “I couldn’t see flames at first, just smoke,” she said.
Cutting the Cable and Fighting Flames
When the power cable snagged on the cupboard, Vicki dashed back inside to grab the sharpest scissors she could find and chopped the cable. Flames then burst out the back of the machine.
“I just knew I needed to get it outside,” Vicki recalled. She dragged the tumble dryer into the garden and doused it with the hosepipe to stamp out the fire.
Firefighters Praise Calm and Courage
Horsham Black Watch Crew Commander Ed Coulson, who arrived shortly after 4.30pm, praised the family’s swift actions.
“Ollie stayed calm and called 999, giving our operators the full address so we could rush to the scene. Vicki’s bravery prevented the fire becoming much worse. She was very lucky not to get hurt.”
He added: “If an appliance catches fire, always call 999 and get everyone out, closing doors behind you.”
Cause and Consequences
Investigations suggest the 10-year-old tumble dryer was near the end of its life and suffered from a lint build-up inside. Thankfully, no damage was caused to the home.
West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service praised the family’s quick thinking and calm heads for averting disaster.
