Police hunt after mum and youngsters rescued from Holme Wood blaze (From Asian Image)

Police hunt after mum and youngsters rescued from Holme Wood blaze

9:25am Monday 8th February 2010

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A mother and two children were trapped in a burning house following an arson attack.

The terrified victims were saved by police officers who smashed a downstairs window to get them out.

The woman, believed to be in her 30s, her school-age son and his friend, had fallen asleep watching TV at their home in Holme Wood.

Smoke alarms woke them but choking fumes made it impossible for them to escape the living room but the mother managed to make it to a phone and dial 999.

A passing patrol car and two beat officers were first to get to the scene in Heysham Drive just before 3am on Saturday.

The officers smashed the double-glazed window and pulled the family and friend out, seconds before fire crews arrived.

Paramedics took them to Bradford Royal Infirmary needing treatment for smoke inhalation. All three have now been discharged.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark McManus, of Bradford South Police, confirmed the fire had been started deliberately.

He said: “We believe some sort of accelerant has been poured through the letter box at the premises.”

He said: “If the emergency services had not attended as quickly as they did, this lady and the children may well have died. It is probably somebody local who has committed this offence.”

The blaze left the house extensively smoke damaged although the fire itself was in the hallway.

Fire investigators are now working alongside detectives to piece together what happened.

Watch manager at Bradford Station, Roger Binns revealed smoke alarms had only just been fitted at the house a few months earlier.

“If it hadn’t been for those alarms we could have been telling a very different story,” he said.

“Three lives were saved because of those who got them out but also because of the smoke alarms.”

A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: “There’s a few houses along here who’ve had bother – but they’ve had the brunt of it. They were only broken into a few weeks ago and we thought it was happening again.

“I heard someone kicking their door down but when I looked out it was the police.

“The family’s been in there longer than us, about a year or more. She’s a nice woman. Our kids play with theirs, they’re all right. There’s lots happening on this road. If we had the money we’d be out of here like a shot.”

Anyone with information should call Detective Sergeant Ash Toussant at Bradford South CID on 0845 6060606.

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