Four taken to hospital after basement fire

Two adults and two children were taken to hospital on Wednesday evening after a fire broke out in the basement of a block of flats in St Helier.

Emergency services received "multiple calls" at about 19:50 GMT, with three fire engines sent to tackle the fire which started in an electrical cupboard.

Smoke was found to have risen into several flats in the building, with one person being rescued from the top floor.

All patients have since been discharged from hospital.

Jersey Fire and Rescue Service said the incident was a reminder of the importance of having a working smoke alarm within properties and shared hallways.

Phil Falle, from the service, said: "Had the incident occurred at a different time at night, possibly in the middle of the night, we could have been dealing with a tragedy here, because obviously at night time you really do rely on those smoke alarms.

"I will say working [alarms] because plenty of people have got smoke alarms in their homes, but a lot of people forget to test them and without testing them on a monthly basis, you just don't know they're working."

Duty Station Commander Paul McGrath said smoke and heat alarms save lives: "During a fire, more people die from smoke or gas inhalation than burns.

"If working smoke alarms were in place, the residents would have had warning of the fire and been able to evacuate the building, safely, in plenty of time."

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