8:00am Friday 7th November 2008
By Ben Perrin
A BIZARRE twist of fate meant a four-month-old baby was not left to sleep in a conservatory where a blaze took hold.
It was only because mum-of-two Linzi Donnelly rolled her baby buggy through dog mess earlier that day that little Zack was taken upstairs for a nap – because of the smell in the conservatory.
The drama unfolded yesterday morning at Linzi’s Grange Park home, when a phone charger overheated and caught fire in the downstairs conservatory.
The fire triggered a smoke alarm – but the 27-year-old’s attempt to flee was thwarted when she could not get out of the locked front door, as the keys were in the conservatory.
So she grabbed Zack, phoned the emergency services and waited for help to arrive at about 10.40am yesterday.
Crews used a short ladder propped over a glass conservatory and up to the first floor bedroom window to pull baby Zack to safety.
It could have been so much worse.
“I was hysterical,” said Linzi.
“I knew I couldn’t get out and I had to call for help.
“It was blind panic. Smoke was everywhere. My only thought was for Zack and making sure he was alright.
“It was just minutes until the fire brigade arrived, but it felt like hours.
“Zack went out through the window first. I was glad he was safe. A fireman took him who passed him to another to take down the ladder.
“I followed soon after and we were checked over by paramedics.
“They calmed me down and kept reassuring me.”
A total of 20 fire officers attended the scene. Two firefighters were sent inside and quickly discovered and extinguished the fire.
The property was then cleared of smoke by giant mechanical fans.
“The firemen were great,” added Linzi.
“Zack didn’t cry once and didn’t seem to think anything of it.
“I think he was more worried about getting his next bottle.”
Linzi’s eldest boy Kian, five, was at Shaw Ridge Primary School, at the time of the fire and missed all the action.
A spokesman for Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “This incident highlights the importance of having a fully-operational smoke alarm in your house.
“It proves that a smoke alarm can save lives at any time of day.
“The extra minutes warning that the alarm gave here, may well have saved the lives of both mother and baby.”
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