A pensioner escaped death when his smoke alarm alerted a special careline during a fire at his Birmingham home.
Firefighters found the man trapped and unconscious in his smoke-filled flat on the ninth floor of Metchley House, in Bantock Way, Harborne.
The man, believed to be in his 70s, was discovered on the floor of the living room after he was overcome by smoke from the fire which started in the fridge at 5.30am on Friday.
Paramedics treated the man at the scene and he was taken to the Queen Elizabeth hospital where he remains in a serious condition.
Phil James from West Midlands Fire Service said the man is lucky to be alive.
He said: “The man had a smoke alarm which alerted a careline, which then informs the emergency services.
“Four firefighters with breathing apparatus broke the door to the flat which had become heavily smoke logged. If the man did not have a smoke alarm and without the fast action of fire crews and excellent work of the paramedics who arrived quickly on the scene, it would have been a different story. If it wasn’t for those three things he would have died.
“It was touch and go but we understand the man is responding well to treatment in hospital. He is not out of danger but not in a critical condition.”
More than 20 firefighters tackled the blaze at its height. A casualty handling area was set up on the eighth floor of the 10 storey building but there were no other injuries. People living in the adjoining flats were treated for smoke inhalation as a precaution. The incident did not lead to a full scale evacuation.
Mr James warned homeowners to take extra care in the run up to Christmas. He said: “We urge people to be particularly cautious at this time of year when people spend more time in their homes due to the cold weather and plugs are being overloaded with Christmas lights and old heaters.
“This fire was caused by an electrical item, however it reminds people that smoke alarms save lives.”
