Family's Lucky Escape From Gateshead Fire

7 April 2011, 09:58 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A family in Gateshead are lucky to be alive after their house, which had no smoke alarms, caught fire when a candle was left unattended.

The fire started in a bedroom at the home on Seaburn Gardens in Wrekenton around 10.50pm.

The neighbour used a window to rescue a 41-year-old woman, 14-year-old girl and a 14-month-old boy.

Another three people got out by themselves.

They were all taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital and treated for the effects of smoke.

A dog was also rescued from the house and given oxygen.

A spokesperson for Tyne and Wear Fire Service told Capital, " this family were very lucky as there house had no smoke alarms. I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to install smoke alarms and check them regularly. This could easily have been a tragedy for the whole family."