UPDATE: Woman and children trapped in burning house

The family was unable to escape as the key to the front door of the end-terraced house in Cudworth, Barnsley, was not in the door when the trio tried to get out.

Firefighters were called to the blaze in Barnsley Road at 3am and found a woman in her 50s and two children under 10 in the lounge of the smoke-filled house, desperate to escape.

A fire had broken out in the adjoining kitchen and the only other escape route at the front of the house was locked.

A fire service telephone operator gave fire survival advice on the phone until crews arrived at the scene.

The occupants of the house were taken to hospital as a precaution.

An investigation is underway but it is believed that an electrical fault in the kitchen was to blame for the fire.

Area Manager Steve Helps Head of Prevention Protection said: “This is yet another reminder of the importance of having smoke alarms on every level of your home, but also why you should test them regularly.

"Only working smoke alarms can save lives, so please, please do not take smoke alarms down or remove their batteries.

"Also, households should also have an escape plan in place to make sure escape routes, like front and back doors, are clear at all times.

"Door and window keys are kept in a safe place at night where everyone can find them.

"Everyone in the house, especially children, knows what to do in the event of a fire."

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