Fire Officers are highlighting the life saving properties of smoke alarms and the importance of fire safety after an 88 year woman was rescued from her Old Colwyn home.

This rescue was one of three reports of house fires firefighters were called to in 24 hours inNorth Wales.

Firefighters fromColwynBayand Abergele were called toMill Drive,ColwynBayat 04.11hrs this morning, Wednesday September 4 after smoke detectors fitted by North Wales Fire and Rescue Service alerted the female occupant to a fire in the bathroom. She had fallen and was unable to evacuate the property, but used her Care Connect  / Galw Gofal pendant to report the fire. Care Connect then alerted North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and firefighters rescued her from the property and used one hose reel and four sets of breathing apparatus to tackle the fire. She was transferred to hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire is thought to have been an electrical fault.

Meanwhile, firefighters from Denbigh and Ruthin had been called to an incident at Llys Gwilym, Llanrhaeadr at 12.08hrs yesterday, September 3. The female occupant received burns to her hands and face after attempting to remove a chip pan on fire out to the open. She was admitted to hospital and has since been transferred to Whiston hospital for treatment.

Crews from Llanberis and Caernarfon had been called to a bungalow fire at Coed Y Ddol, Llanberis at 20.02hrs, caused by cooking left unattended. The occupants were not home at the time of the fire, but the fire caused 40% fire damage and 100% smoke damage to the whole property.

Gary Brandrick, Senior Fire Safety Manager for North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said:

"You are twice as likely to die in a fire at home if you do not have a working smoke alarm. When a fire starts, you only have a few minutes to escape. A working smoke alarm can buy you valuable time to get out, stay out and dial 999. You can get a basic smoke alarm for the same price as a packet of cigarettes. Better still are those smoke alarms with long-life batteries or are mains-powered.

"Having a practised escape plan in the event of fire will help improve your chances of survival should the worst happen. Also, try and get into a nightime routine  - switch off all electrical items and shut all doors to minimise the spread of smoke in your home and protect your route out of the building should a fire occur.

"Never leave cooking unattended and never try and tackle a fire yourself. The lady in the fire at Llanrhaeadr unfortunately tried to move the chip pan involved, and this is when she sustained her injuries. Please never move items like chip pans which have been involved in fire.

"For more advice on fire safety and for the opportunity to have free smoke alarms fitted in your home, please contact North Wales Fire and Rescue Service for a free home fire safety check. To register, please call our free 24 hour hotline on 0800 169 1234 or visit www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk or text 88365, ensuring you prefix your message with the word HFSC."

Here are theTop 10 tips to make your home a safe home

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1. Fit a smoke alarm and check it regularly.
2. Make a fire action plan so that everyone in your house knows how to escape in the event of fire.
3. Take care when cooking with hot oil and think about using thermostatically controlled deep fat fryers.
4. Never leave lit candles unattended.
5. Ensure cigarettes are stubbed out and disposed of carefully.
6. Never smoke in bed.
7. Keep matches and lighters away from children.
8. Keep clothing away from heating appliances.
9. Take care in the kitchen!
10. Take special care when you are tired or when you've been drinking.