AN elderly woman was rescued from a house fire after becoming trapped in the cellar. 

Fire crews arrived at the house in Market Street, Whitworth, just after 4.30pm on Saturday, after neighbours reported seeing smoke billowing from the back of the property.

The woman, who was in her 80s, had put a chip pan on the stove before going into the cellar where she had fallen and was unable to get up.

The unattended chip pan caught fire and the house began to fill with smoke. 

The woman attempted to call for help by pressing the panic button on her personal alarm but the signal was blocked by the cellar walls, leaving her trapped and unable to alert anyone to the fire.

Firefighters rescued the woman and she was taken to hospital for treatment but her injuries were not life-threatening.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said she had been kept in hospital overnight.

She said: "It all happened while I was in the cellar.

"There were two lots of fire engines and an ambulance which took me to hospital.

"I've been in all night and just got home this morning."

A member of staff from The Promenade Bar and Grill said the woman was 'lucky to be alive'.

He said: "She had gone down into the cellar to put her coat in the dryer while her tea was cooking.

"She had a fall while she was down there and wasn't able to get back up.

"She pressed the button on her panic cord to try and get help, but it didn't work because she was out of range in the cellar.

"The fire service said she was very lucky that she left the lid on the pan.

"If she'd not put the lid on before she'd gone into the cellar the whole thing would have gone up in flames."

Firefighters have issued a safety warning following the incident.
Watch manager Chris Howarth, from Bacup Fire Station, said: “Fortunately, the smoke alarm went off and raised the alarm. Crews ventilated the property and removed the hot pan.

“Crews were in attendance for approximately 60 minutes. The occupant went to urgent care for a precautionary health check.

“The fire service would urge people not to cook chips using hot oil pans. 
“Distraction is the main cause of chip pan fires. Whilst cooking, don’t leave pans unattended.

“Should a chip pan fire occur, never attempt to extinguish the fire — close the door to the kitchen and call the fire service. Never put water on a chip pan fire.

“When cooking chips at home, we would recommend oven or microwave chips.”