Smoke alarm saves residents from early morning arson attack

The 27-year-old woman, who shares the first floor flat with a friend, was woken by the alarm around 5am to find her home filled with smoke and the balcony on fire.

The Fire Service believe it was just minutes before a fierce blaze could have enveloped the flat.

Once aware of what was happening the woman and her friend ran out to warn the other residents - one of whom has a young family - and rang 999.

The fire service sent two appliances from Cadogan Fire Station to the scene.The balcony, wooden floor and decking were ruined and the downstairs flat was partially damaged due to fallen debris.

"The whole thing was quite scary," said the woman. "If the smoke alarm had not gone off the fire service had told us that we would have only had two more minutes before the flat would have gone up and there would have been a whole different situation. It was definitely the smoke alarm that saved us."

The woman was due to go for a job interview later that day but had to cancel.

"The night before I getting everything ready and just hours hours later I ended up outside in the pouring rain, watching my flat on fire" she said.

"What my friend and I were really concerned about was the other residents. When it happened we just went into survival mode and wanted to get everyone out. The upstairs flat was not too badly damaged but downstairs there is a young family with toddlers."

The woman has questioned why anyone would attack homes.

"I just do not know who did it or why," she said. "There has never been really any trouble here.

"I have been here three years and it is a nice area and there has never been a problem. I don't know but you just have to move on and deal with it."

Police have said they had previously received complaints about anti social behviour nearby and are investigating the incident.