THE LIVES of a father and two children in Tullow were saved recently by their smoke alarm, according to chief fire officer Ger Guerin.

An extensive fire swept through the family home at Wolseley Court, Tullow before 5am on Monday 23 September, starting in an unoccupied downstairs bedroom.

“The man woke up to the sound of the smoke alarm and discovered smoke in the hallway and light coming under the door from the fire. He gathered up his two children and got out of the house,” stated Mr Guerin.

“The man’s smoke alarm saved their lives on this occasion,” he added.

It is understood the man’s wife was away on holiday.

Two units of Tullow Fire Service attended the scene and brought the fire under control. The house is understood to have been significantly damaged in the blaze. The cause of the fire is yet unknown and is under investigation. Preliminary examinations, however, have indicated the fire was not maliciously set.