A young mum whose house was engulfed in flames as she slept has told how she was saved by her pet dog.
Alyshia Bennett, 20, was fast asleep when fire ripped through her terraced cottage at 1.30am.
Luckily her Staffordshire cross Lady started barking at the door to alert her to the danger as flames leapt up the stairs.
Quick-thinking Alyshia opened the window and threw Lady into the arms of a neighbour waiting below and then leapt herself – breaking both ankles when she landed.
But she says she is lucky to be alive – and owes her survival to her loyal pet.
She said: ”Lady was going nuts. This wasn’t like her at all. I was getting fed up with her disturbing me and then that I noticed how hot it was getting.
”I opened the bedroom door and was faced with flames half way up the stairs and a room full of smoke.
”At first I thought it was a small fire but the flames and heat were getting more intense by the second.”
Fire broke out after Alyshia had arranged for her baby son Lucas to stay with her parents so she could get a good night’s sleep.
Investigators believe the blaze was started by an electrical fault in the communal loft space above the row of five cottages Alyshia’s home is part of.
The flames gutted three of the homes and damaged the other two.
Neighbour Rob Crowle phoned the fire brigade and rushed to help after hearing Alyshia’s screams for help on April 21st.
She said: ”He told me to jump for my life. I screamed that I had my dog and I wasn’t going anywhere without her.
”With that, he told me to drop her to him, which I did. Thankfully, he caught her safely.
”At that moment the fire burst threw into the room and I literally jumped for my life.
”As I got to the window there was a huge blast and my hair caught fire, and as I hit the floor I felt the bones in my feet break, but once again my neighbours
dragged me to safety.
”Thanks to my dog and the heroism of my neighbours, who themselves lost everything in the fire, I wouldn’t be here now. I owe them my life.
Mr Crowle added: ”Literally seconds after she jumped, a window blew out. It was just lucky that she jumped when she did, otherwise it would have been the end.”
Lee Griffin, from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service, said: ”I think it could have been a lot, lot worse. She’s very, very lucky to be with us now. This was
a major incident.
”Thankfully, a quick thinking resident alerted us and assisted the escape of the young female resident.
”This was a particularly difficult fire that thankfully didn’t cause a loss of life. Our investigators are continuing with a detailed search of the
property.”
