Evacuation after fire breaks out at North Shore hostel

Crews were called to the scene of the fire

Residents were alerted to the fire by a smoke alarm which sounded at the property on Pleasant Street at around 10pm on Sunday, July 15.

Three fire engines from Blackpool and Bispham attended the scene and were met with smoke on the first floor of the property.

Acting watch Manager Dave Dumigam said that smoke quickly began to build in the property and that firefighters in breathing apparatus were tasked with finding the source of the smoke.

He said: "When we arrived there was some smoke on the first floor.

"Everyone had been evacuated and the smoke alarm had activated.

"We couldn't see where the smoke was coming from and the smoke then started to get thicker. "

"We committed four breathing apparatus to look for the source of the fire and two others to make sure all the rooms had been evacuated.

"The fire was located in a hot water cupboard and seems to have been due to an electrical fault.

"We used a hose reel to extinguish the fire.

"Thankfully, nobody was injured in the incident and there wasn't much damage done.

"But all the residents had to be relocated as the electricity had to be turned off."

Crews remained at the scene for around three hours.

Smoke alarms save lives, You are more than twice as likely to die in a fire at home if you haven’t got one.

A smoke alarm is the easiest way to alert you to the danger of fire, giving you and your family precious time to escape.