Residents praised for raising alarm following fire

Fire crews were called to a St. Helier premises yesterday evening at approximately 2230hrs, after a resident reported a strong smell of smoke in their flat.

Upon arrival, crews were met with smoke issuing from a ground floor commercial premises. One team of firefighters, equipped with breathing apparatus and a high pressure hose reel, swiftly made entry to the building and extinguished the fire. 

Watch Commander Smith extended his gratitude to the resident of the flat above for their prompt actions in alerting the Fire and Rescue Service quickly and raising the alarm.

He said "Their vigilance undoubtedly helped us to respond rapidly and prevent the situation from escalating further"

Watch Commander Smith also took the opportunity to remind the public of the critical importance of having a working smoke alarm in their home and business.

A "hot fire strike", where firefighters visit neighbours to share fire safety advice and install smoke alarms, will be carried out in the vicinity of the incident this morning.