A BLIND man has described the terrifying moment he realised his house was on fire and his four children and wife were asleep upstairs.

Zakaria Bismillah, 41, said their lives were saved by a free smoke alarm fitted by firefighters three years ago after he lost his sight due to diabetes.

“If it wasn’t for the smoke alarm relatives would have been organising six funerals for us instead,” said Mr Bismillah, who needs kidney dialysis three times a week.

The fire broke out in the kitchen of the family’s home in Arncliffe Terrace, Great Horton, Bradford, and the intense heat blew out the windows and skylight, melted appliances beyond recognition and destroyed wall units.

The rest of the house was blackened by smoke damage.

Mr Bismillah said he had been downstairs alone when he heard the smoke alarm go off at about 11.30pm on Tuesday after his eldest daughter Rahima, 16, had been the last to go to bed.

“Whoever is last to go up to bed always presses the button on the alarm to check it’s working.They use my white stick,” he said.

“It kept going off, I thought it was Rahima and I shouted ‘what are you doing?’

“There was no reply so I got up. I opened the kitchen door. I could smell smoke, it was getting in my mouth. I could hear crackling in the corner.

“I shouted upstairs. I didn’t know it was as bad as it was at the time. My wife had heard the alarm and was coming down. I told her to get the children quick and get out. Smoke was filling the house, it was choking us.

“If it hadn’t been for the alarm, we would not have been here. I wouldn’t have heard or smelled anything until it would have been to late for them to get up and get down the stairs.

“I pray to the fire service for what they have done for us fitting the alarm. Those guys deserve a pay rise. They were here in just minutes after we dialled 999. They are heroes.”

Fire investigators believe a faulty plug socket started the blaze in the newly-fitted kitchen which had cost the family thousands of pounds to install.

The room, which stands at the back of the property, was fully engulfed by flames when firefighters from Fairweather Green and Bradford stations arrived at the scene.

Crews used breathing apparatus to get through the toxic, black smoke that filled the whole house up to the attic bedroom.

A family-of-six who live next door had to evacuate their home as a precaution in case the fire spread to their property.

Mr Bismillah said his wife Rehana, 40, and their children Rahima, Saudah, 14, Yahya, 13, and Amira, six, escaped the blaze in their pyjamas.

“The children were shocked and shattered. My youngest kept asking about her school bag she was worried about her library book,” he said.

“Neighbours took us in and the Red Cross have been in touch with us. We won’t be able to get back in the house for five or six weeks, we’re homeless until then. We’re hoping the Council will help.”

Watch Commander Peter Hanson, who is based at Fairweather Green station, said: “If it wasn’t for the smoke alarm we fitted three years ago there would have probably been a few lives lost.

“The male owner of the property was partially-sighted and would have struggled on his own in that situation to wake everyone up and get them all out.

“The fire was contained in the kitchen but the whole house was full of smoke. The kitchen is destroyed but the outcome could have been a lot worse for this family who were lucky to all get out.

“It just shows how smoke alarms are life-savers.”

Mr Bismillah said: “Everyone should have smoke alarms. I owe my family’s lives to the fire service.”

He also thanked the community for rallying round: “A man who lives nearby has just offered to paint the house for us when we get back on our feet.

“We are very grateful but most of all we are thankful for still being here today.

To find out if you are eligible for a Safe & Well home visit by West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service call 0800 5874536.

Home safety tips are available at westyorksfire.gov.uk/your-safety/home/home-fire-safety-checks/