A mother and her two children were treated by paramedics after a fire at their Black Country home today.

Flames tore through the ground floor of the house in Highfield Road, Rowley Regis at around 6.30 this morning. It is believed a candle left burning through the night on top of a television started the blaze.

The family of five were woken by the smoke alarm but the flames had already blocked off the front door of their two storey home, and they had to make their escape through the back door.

Watch commander Dave Lawrence from Cradley Heath fire station said: “If it wasn’t for their smoke alarm then it could have been a completely different story. It probably saved their lives.”

He added: “The ground floor lounge is completely burnt out, as is the rest of the ground floor but the whole house has been affected by the smoke. I think they had a lucky escape”

Paramedics were called as a precaution by firefighters to treat the woman and her children for breathing in smoke and shock but they refused hospital treatment.