At 1:52am on Christmas morning two fire engines responded to a kitchen fire at Belmer Court, Grand Ave, Worthing . Firefighters arrived within 6 minutes and were confronted by smoke pouring from a ground floor flat. The occupiers had escaped from the blaze after being woken by their smoke alarm. They had gone to bed and had put their Dishwasher on but it had caught fire and started to fill their flat with toxic choking smoke.
 
Two neighbours in an adjacent flat were led to safety, whilst 4 firefighters wearing Breathing Apparatus tackled the fire using a hose reel and a Carbon dioxide fire extinguisher. The flat also suffered extensive smoke damage and fire crews used a powerful ventilation fan to clear the flat of smoke and reduce the damage.
 
The two elderly occupants had both suffered from smoke inhalation and were given oxygen by the fire service before being conveyed to Worthing hospital by paramedics.
 
Watch Commander Darren Wickings said he was in no doubt the smoke alarm saved this couple's life.
 
"We urge everyone not to put washing machines, dishwashers or tumble driers on when going out or going to bed. In this case the occupants were awoken to the danger they were in by the sound of the smoke alarm so please make sure your family are protected in case a fire does break out. Further advice is available through our Home Fire Safety Check scheme, please call 0800 3286487"