Two teenage girls were given life-saving survival advice over the phone by fire brigade staff after calling from their smoke-filled home on a mobile phone.

The youngsters were trapped upstairs with a chip-pan fire out of control in the kitchen in Marlborough Avenue, Kidlington, last night.

One called Oxfordshire Fire Service and staff gave them advice until firefighters arrived to help them down a ladder from a bedroom window.

Firemen wearing breathing gear also rescued one dog, a cat and a budgie. Although there were two smoke alarms fitted in the house, they were not working properly. Open doors allowed smoke to spread quickly.

Chief Fire Officer Tom Carroll said: "This is yet another example of a smoke alarm not being maintained in working order. It led to two people needing to be rescued and widespread smoke damage to the property.

"Statistics say that you are 12 times more likely to survive a fire in your home if you have a fully operational and correctly-sited smoke alarm."

Information about fire safety in the home is available from the fire service on 01865 258510.

Story date: Wednesday 20 October

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