Mum’s candle warning after house blaze
A MUM whose sevenweek-old baby son was rushed to hospital after her daughter’s handmade Christmas decoration went up in flames has warned other parents about the dangers of candles and flammable ornaments.
Emma Taylor’s house filled with thick, black smoke after the decoration, made by her daughter Freya, caught fire.
The pair lit the candle, which was in a holder made from green flower-display foam, but the whole thing set alight.
Baby Harry was just metres away from the decoration, which was on top of the fireplace in the living room.
Emma, 32, grabbed Harry and put his head under her shirt to stop him breathing in smoke, before running a cloth under a tap and throwing it on the decoration.
The blaze was out by the time firefighters arrived at Alderdale Road, Cheadle Hulme, at around 7.25pm on Friday, and Emma and her two children had already escaped, avoiding serious injury.
Freya, five, was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and was given the all-clear. She was in bed upstairs when the fire broke out.
Little Harry was taken to Stepping Hill Hospital as a precaution, but was later discharged. Emma’s partner Andrew, 36, was out when the drama unfolded.
Emma, who works with deaf children, has now warned other parents about the dangers of flammable decorations and candles in the run-up to Christmas.
Freya made the candle-holder at a playgroup a few weeks ago. Playgroup bosses have now contacted the parents of all the children who made the decorations to tell them to throw them away.
Emma said she isn’t blaming anyone for the incident.
She said: “It didn’t even occur to me it would be dangerous. You see those types of decorations in the shops all the time.
“Harry was on the floor in his bouncer and I was checking on Freya, who was in bed. I turned my back for literally a few seconds before the smoke came billowing up the stairs. It was that quick.
“Luckily, we were all okay. But it was terrifying. I didn’t think twice about lighting the decoration. But I will now.
“It shows how careful you need to be. I’m not blaming the playgroup. They didn’t realise, and neither did I. I just want to warn other parents to be careful.
“It could have been so much worse.”