A local Officer is praising crews, thanking the local community and highlighting the importance of cooking safety after a serious fire in Pandy, Llangollen yesterday which hospitalised three people.

Crews were called to the detached property at 16.16hrs yesterday (Sunday 14^th November).

At the height of the incident, six crews were in attendance, with firefighters from Llangollen, Johnstown, Wrexham, Cerrigydrudion and Bala tackling the fire. Crews from Chirk, Wrexham, Buckley and Mold also attended into the evening and overnight. Crews left the scene this morning.

The three occupants, all in their nineties, were all taken to hospital, and two of those, a man and a woman, remain in hospital receiving precautionary checks.

Steve Houghton from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service attended the incident. He said:

“Firstly, I’d like to thank the local community for supporting the great work of our crews in tackling this fire – as part of the firefighting operations, due to the location of the fire we used the portable pumping unit to access water from the river Ceiriog. Local residents assisted us with this set up, which allowed firefighters access to water to tackle the fire.

“This was a serious fire in a large building, and our firefighters worked well in difficult conditions.

“The residents were out of the house on our arrival, and my thoughts are with them and their family during this stressful time – we all hope they make a full recovery.

“The seriousness of the fire also meant the closure of a road which is the only route into the valley- once again, my thanks go to local residents and those travelling in the area for their patience.

“The devastating damage shows just how destructive fire can be - and time and time again we attend house fires which have started in the kitchen - it's so easy to forget your cooking, especially if you are tired, distracted or have been drinking.

"Our message is clear - never turn your back on your cooking, even for a minute. Leaving any cooking unattended for any length of time can have disastrous results.

"Smoke alarms save lives - the early warning provided by a smoke alarm can provide vital minutes to help you escape unharmed.

“I’d ask everyone to consider elderly or vulnerable family or neighbours, and ensure they are safe too.

“For a free safe and well check call our freephone number on 0800 169 1234, e-mail cfs@nwales-fireservice.org.uk  or log on to our website www.northwalesfire.gov.wales.”

Top tips for safety in the kitchen:

• If you leave the room take the cooking off the heat
• Don't use matches or lighters to light gas cookers. Spark devices are safer
• Always make sure that any handles are turned away from the edge of the cooker
• Keep the over, hob and grill clean - a build up fat and grease can easily catch fire
• Never hang anything to dry above the cooker
• Take care if you are wearing loose clothing as it can easily catch fire
• When you've finished cooking make sure everything is turned off
• Turn off electrical appliances when they are not being used
• Never use a chip pan - use a thermostatically controlled deep far fryer
• Never cook after drinking- get a takeaway instead
• Get fitted with smoke alarms - they are free of charge and could save your life.