Middleton woman visits 999 control room to say thanks after washing machine fire

Claire Lowe and Control Operator Karen Flanagan

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A woman who was rescued from a fire at her home has visited Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service's (GMFRS) control room to meet and personally thank the call handler who answered her 999 call.

Claire Lowe, 34, a mother-of-one from Middleton rang 999 at 6.25am on Monday 12 November  when her barking dog woke her up to a house full of smoke. Her call was answered by Control Operator Karen Flanagan.

Claire said: "I really wanted to personally meet and thank Karen. She was really calm and kept me reassured and it was great to be able to say thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Three fire engines from Blackley and Chadderton fire stations were called to her house on Barrowfields, and as they set off, Karen kept her talking.

Karen said: "It was lovely to meet Claire, because I've been working in control with GMFRS for 32 years and most callers are just a voice so it's nice that she's taken the time to come and see us here.

"Usually in the 999 control room we never get to see the end result, we always start the process off so it really is lovely to meet Claire and see she is OK.

"The minute I answered the 999 call I could tell Claire was upset and distressed and she told me she'd got up early to put a wash on and that she'd gone back to bed, but she kept apologising and I told her not to because that's what GMFRS is here for.

"Claire was great because she was listening to me and not panicking too much so it made my job easy - she knew where she was and what her address was.

"It was a team effort, while I was able to talk to Claire and tell her to stay close to the window with the door closed, my colleagues were able to talk to the fire crews to tell them where exactly in the house she was."

During the visit, Claire presented Karen with a bunch of flowers and was given a tour of GMFRS' 999 control room.

Claire said: "It was really nice to thank Karen and we listened back to the 999 call together, she was being dead nice to me.

"At the time my boyfriend was working away and thankfully my little boy was at his dad's house - and I'd got up at about 5.15am and put my towels in on a 90 degree wash and then went back up to bed.

"I woke up because my dogs Patch and Baby were barking and I thought they were just playing on the landing, but they wouldn't stop so I opened the door and it was thick with smoke.

"I was really scared I got the dogs in the bedroom with me and rang 999 - Karen was brilliant and the firefighters were amazing too."

Crews rescued Claire helping her down a ladder from her bedroom window. The fire is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.

Claire said: "How many women go out or to bed and leave their washing machine on? You wouldn't catch me doing that again.

"The firefighters say I was lucky because I had all the doors shut in the house, so the fire damage didn't spread through the whole house and now my friend's had a door fitted on her kitchen.

"Now I will always have a working smoke alarm and I'll tell anyone who'll listen not to put the washing machine on and go out, you wouldn't leave your cooking unattended would you?

"It's been great to meet Karen and I want to thank the firefighters and everyone at GMFRS for helping me, they were brilliant and even fitted me a couple of smoke alarms."