Luckiest woman alive

Selby widow Jean Baker said she owed her life to neighbour Carole Townsend, 57, who was praised by firefighters for her swift actions.

Mrs Baker had returned to her one-bedroom flat in Bracken Hill Close, Brayton, after a night out with friends.

She started to fry chips in a pan on the cooker and then fell asleep on the settee.

The late night meal was almost a recipe for disaster.

The chip pan caught fire and Mrs Baker tried to tackle the blaze herself. But the smoke and shock triggered an asthma attack and she blacked out.

None of the housing association flats have smoke alarms, but fortunately for Mrs Baker, her upstairs neighbour Mrs Townsend heard coughing and smelled smoke about 2am.

Divorcee Mrs Townsend said: "I quickly put some clothes on and went downstairs to find Jean in the middle of an asthma attack. The smoke was so thick, you couldn't see or breathe.

"She was half on the settee and half on the floor. I picked her up and dragged her out of the flat along with her handbag and keys.

"I then banged on the door of another neighbour who threw a wet towel over the chip pan.

"Jean's very lucky that I have good hearing and a good sense of smell."

Mrs Baker, a chamber maid at the Owl Hotel at Hambleton who celebrates her 50th birthday today, was taken to hospital and treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns.

She said: "If it hadn't been for Carole, I would have been a goner. I can't thank her enough.

"I've chucked the chip pan in the wheelie bin and from now on I'm only going to eat oven chips."

Selby fire station sub officer Simon Gallagher said today that Mrs Townsend's swift response had helped to save Mrs Baker's life.

"We would advise anyone not to leave chip pans on the cooker unattended, especially after a night out. They are potentially lethal."

lTwo police officers and a neighbour were today commended for their bravery in entering a smoke- filled house to rescue a young mother and her baby after a chip pan fire.

The mother, aged 18, and her 15-month-old son, were asleep at their home in High Garth, Eastfield, Scarborough, just after 4am today, when the fire broke out. They were rescued after the mother managed to call for help from a bedroom window.

A 25-year-old man living nearby, who has not been named, forced his way into the smoke-filled house and took the toddler to safety. As he left, two police officers, PCs Steven Smith and Christopher Pollard, arrived at the scene in response to a report of the fire, and went into the house to help the mother to safety.

The mother, her son, the neighbour and the two police officers were all taken to Scarborough District Hospital suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation but have now been released.

Updated: 14:50 Tuesday, June 19, 2001