A family holed themselves up in a loft as they anxiously awaited help when a vicious fire ripped through their home today.

Smoke alarms alerted the four sleeping occupants of Langdale Avenue, Fairweather Green, Bradford, to the blaze and saved their lives, said fire chiefs.

Tracey Borrow, aged 46, husband Chris, 45, daughter Natalie and niece Jadie, both 19, secured themselves in an attic bedroom and shoved bed sheets around the door in a bid to buy them some time before the fire service arrived.

They secured themselves in an attic bedroom and shoved bed sheets around the door in a bid to buy them some time before the fire service arrived.

Frantic neighbours called 999 when they heard the family shouting for help from a loft window and minutes later six firefighters wearing breathing equipment stormed the semi-detached house to clear a path and rescue them.

Andy Wooler, watch commander at Fairweather Green fire station whose crew was dispatched to the call, said the family had responded well to the fire.

"They had working smoke alarms which saved their lives," he said.

"They couldn't get out so they went into a bedroom in the roof space and that's where we found them. They did the right thing when they realised they were in trouble by putting bedding behind the closed door."

He warned people never to leave pans unattended on a lit stove."These old chip pans are lethal left unattended and that's what caused this fire," Mr Wooler said.

Neighbours and family members were rallying round to secure the property over the weekend.

  • Read the full story in Monday's T&A