Lucky escape in Trowbridge as roof is set ablaze

The mother of two young children who were asleep when a Chinese lantern set fire to their house has thanked the neighbour who raised the alarm.

Anne-Marie Cobb, 40, and her children Samuel, eight, and Amelia, six, were asleep in their Clarendon Road home on Saturday night at around 11.15pm.

The paper lantern landed on a partly built extension to the rear of the house and set fire to some exposed insulation in the roof, just two feet from where Amelia was fast asleep.

The timber frame of the extension then also caught fire.

Fortunately a neighbour was putting their dogs out for the night, saw the flames, called the fire service and managed to wake the family.

Mrs Cobb said: “We were all asleep and then one of the neighbours started banging on the door and ringing the doorbell and yelling that there was a fire.

“At first you’re a bit groggy and still a bit asleep but then I just thought to get the kids out of the house.”

The three rushed into the back garden in their pyjamas and waited for firefighters to arrive, watching the roof burning.

“It was well alight,” said Mrs Cobb. “I have a fire extinguisher but there was no way I could put it out, it was a big blaze. It’s not a good feeling standing watching your house burning.

“I was just thinking how lucky we were. Because it was the rear of the property I don’t think anyone else would have seen it.

“I want to say thank you to my neighbours and to the firefighters. It could have been a lot worse and we were very lucky.”

The extension has suffered extensive damage and Mrs Cobb is waiting for an insurance assessor’s report.

Amelia and Samuel have not been badly affected by their close escape.

“I think being so young they don’t appreciate how much worse it could have been,” Mrs Cobb said.

“Amelia was upset and didn’t want to sleep in her room that night, but she’s been OK since. I just want to make people aware of the potential consequences of letting them off, particularly in a built-up area where they could start a fire.”

Trowbridge fire station manager Glyn Moody said: “They were extremely lucky. Chinese lanterns are very attractive when flying, but we would urge people to think twice before lighting them in residential areas – there is a real risk.”