A FAMILY were “incredibly lucky to get out with their lives” after a fire in their home – which had no working smoke alarms.

The two adults and three children were led to safety from their burning house in the early hours of Saturday.

Firefighters from Redhill and Springbourne were called to Junction Road in Winton at 4am and soon requested backup from a Westbourne crew. The family inside the smoke-filled house escaped, but found themselves surrounded by fumes at the back. Firefighters found them and led them to safety.

A Dorset Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said the cause of the fire was believed to be an electrical fault, starting in a bedroom.

Station manager Richard Coleman, who was at the scene, said that he and his colleagues “couldn’t quite believe” the family had got out.

“We think the people were incredibly lucky to get out with their lives, the fire was very close to their bedrooms,” he said.

The family was treated in hospital on Saturday for smoke inhalation and the father had burns to his hands.

Neighbours said they had since returned to the house to start cleaning up, but were staying elsewhere.

Mr Coleman added: “Those smoke alarms would have alerted them very early on that there was a fire and would have prevented the injuries and smoke inhalation that put them in hospital.”

A service spokesman said that the house suffered substantial heat and smoke damage. Firefighters have since visited the street to issue fire safety advice.

The fire service said the incident reinforced the need to have working smoke alarms fitted and tested weekly and urged anyone without them to do so. Free fire safety visits are available via dorsetfire.co.uk or 01305 252600.