Stafford woman injured as family escapes fire

A woman was taken to hospital after escaping a severe blaze at her home in Stafford with her children.

The woman and her children were forced to flee when a bedroom curtain caught fire at the semi-detached house in Sutton Drive, Doxey.

Firefighters were called to deal with the first-floor blaze, which is believed to have been started by a child playing with matches or a lighter.

The woman, who has two sons, was taken in an ambulance to Stafford General Hospital for treatment for minor injuries after the blaze at 9.11am on Saturday.

Mike Burnside, from Stafford fire station's White Watch, said it was lucky no-one was seriously injured.

"This could have been a lot more serious. The little boy came downstairs to tell his mum that the curtain was on fire. She went downstairs to get some water but by that time clothing and other combustibles had caught fire," he said

When fire crews arrived, there was a considerable amount of smoke and flames pouring from the bedroom window. Everyone had been evacuated from the house by the time firefighters arrived. Checks were made on the next door properties which were slightly affected by smoke logging

Station ManagerToby Wilson said: "Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service would like to remind parents to keep lighters and matches out of children's reach."

The woman, who was out of hospital by the afternoon, did not want to give her name but said she wanted to thank her neighbours in Doxey for their help.