Chip pan fire leaves family homeless
AYOUNG family have been left homeless after a chip pan fire gutted their home.
Jackie Shankley and her three children, aged four, six and seven, were forced to flee their house on College Street in Accrington after a blaze broke out in the kitchen.
Three fire crews were called to the scene and spent three hours tackling the ‘intense’ blaze.
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said two people from neighbouring houses also had to be rescued and were given smoke inhalation treatment by the paramedics.
Full-time mum Jackie, 30, said she was cooking tea when she went upstairs to go to the toilet and returned two minutes later to find the kitchen in flames.
She managed to get her children outside quickly before the emergency services arrived.
Jackie, who has been living in the rented property since October, said she cannot move back into the fire damaged and smokelogged home and is staying with a friend in Blackburn.
She told the Observer: “I had just put the tea on and ran upstairs to the toilet. I came down two minutes later and saw all the flames.
“The first thing I did was to throw my kids out. I just thought ‘what the hell is going on?’
“I’ve lost nearly everything. The only things that have survived are my television and settee in the living room.
“The kitchen, dining room and upstairs are all gone. I’m still in shock. We can’t stay here as it’s not safe. I’m not insured but I think my landlord is.”
The incident happened at around 6pm on Tuesday, June 6.
Neighbour Yasmin Khan said her 17-year-old son was asleep at the time and had to be rescued by firefighters after smoke came into her house.
She said: “I went shopping and my son was asleep inside. A friend across the road called me to say there was a fire and to get out.
“There was smoke on the landing and my son couldn’t get out. The fire brigade got a key and helped him get out. When I came home I was panick- ing as there was all this smoke. It had spread so quickly in just 10 minutes.”
Aiysha Azhar, 26, said she gave Jackie and her children shelter after they fled the house.
She said: “My mum ran in from work and said there was a big fire. We know she has three kids so my first thought was ‘are they alright?’
“Thankfully they were okay and they all came to our house. They had a very lucky escape.
“She was scared and really worried and didn’t know what had happened. She told me it was lucky her kids were downstairs and not upstairs.”
Mum-of-two Zatoon Begum, 37, said she was shocked by how quickly the fire had spread.
She said: “I was in the kitchen preparing food for my kids when my daughter said ‘mummy there’s a big fire’.
“I was just hoping nothing happened to her kids and they are really sweet and absolutely gorgeous.
“She was in shock and it would’ve been much worse if her children were hurt or had been inside.
“It’s shocking how bad chip pan fires can be. It’s horrible.”
Hyndburn fire station said they used eight breathing apparatus and four hose reels to extinguish the blaze.
A spokesperson said: “The people of the house affected by the fire luckily managed to escape just prior to the arrival of the fire service.
“The fire is believed to have started when a chip pan was left unattended and quickly spread to the kitchen and contents, destroying the kitchen/ dining room and an upstairs bedroom. The incident took over three hours to make sure it was fully extinguished.”