Firefighters break into wrong Blackpool flat during fire and say it was an 'easy mistake'

Jean Laurent, 73, was asleep in her George Street flat unaware of the drama taking place in the flat above yesterday shortly before 6am.

Firefighters were called to the fire after two people were trapped and trying to escape through windows due to a chip pan fire.

In trying to gain access to the flat, the firefighters broke down Mrs Laurent’s front door instead of the door further along.

Jean uses an oxygen mask and tank and her grandaughter, Amanda Holmes told the Gazette she thought she was being burgled.

Amanda “I only live round the corner and I heard the sirens and noise coming from this way but didn’t realise it was above my nans otherwise I would have come round.

“My nan got woken up by the firemen breaking into the flat. She thought someone as breaking into the flat at first.”

A spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We are in contact with the people involved and we apologised to the lady at the time. We are making amends to get the damages fixed for her immediately.”

In response to the firefighters making the mistake, they said: “The property is situated on the corner and smoke was coming out of all four top windows. With two doors below it was quite an easy mistake to make

“The lady was shaken and we stayed with her whilst she was been by paramedics. Both her and the landlord were happy with how things were left.”