TWO people are lucky to have escaped alive after smoke poured into their home as they slept.

The husband and wife, who live in Sandy Lane, Upton, Poole, were woken by their smoke alarm which triggered after an “intense” fire took hold in their garage.

Luckily, Dorset Fire and Rescue Service had recently visited the property and fitted it with alarms as part of their ongoing safety campaign.

Firefighters are now convinced the couple – believed to be elderly – owe their lives to these alarms.

Despite the intensity of the smoke and heat, the couple were able to escape shocked but otherwise unharmed. They are now staying with neighbours.

Firefighters were called to the scene around midnight on Saturday.

Two crews from Poole fire station and one from Hamworthy attended, using two hose reel jets and two mainlines to bring the blaze under control.

The interior of the garage was completely gutted by the fire, which also heavily damaged the kitchen of the house.

The rest of the property sustained severe smoke damage and a neighbour’s property was also damaged by smoke and heat.

A Dorset Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “A fire investigation officer was called to the scene and found the fire had been started by a halogen heater being left too close to combustible materials within the garage.”

The Red Cross support vehicle also attended the scene.

The fire service spokesman confirmed: “The occupants of the property were woken by smoke alarms that the fire service had previously fitted, and in this case they definitely saved their lives due to the severity and intensity of the fire.”