Telford family’s lucky escape from gas explosion
Friday 17th December 2010, 11:38AM GMT.
A Telford family had a lucky escape when a gas explosion caused a flame of up to 9ft to shoot out of their fire.
An investigation was under way today into the incident at the home in the Rhodes Avenue area of Malinslee.
Firefighters from Telford Central Fire Station were called to the semi-detached property shortly after 8.30pm yesterday.
Pete Hawkins, watch manager at Telford, said there had been accumulation of gas from a boiler behind a fire in the lounge which sent a “pressure wave” through the home, lifting the loft hatch off.
He said: “A mother and daughter were in the lounge where the gas fire was. They had been out and came back and attempted to light the gas fire and the central heating. It didn’t ignite for some reason and they left it for 15 or 20 minutes and tried to ignite it again.
“There was an escape of gas during this time and subsequently ignited the escaped gas which had built up behind the fire.”
Mr Hawkins said the occupiers were “extremely lucky” they were not seriously injured. He said the mother had suffered reddening to her feet and both occupiers were shocked but did not need hospital treatment.
Firefighters isolated the gas supply and made the property safe before National Grid was called out.
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