Woman overcome by carbon monoxide fumes at Parson Drove home

The incident has prompted new calls from fire service chiefs for residents to ensure they have working carbon monoxide alarms in their homes if they use open fires or fuel burners.

Watch Commander John Chelton, from Wisbech fire station, said: “A carbon monoxide alarm has today saved the life of a resident and had it not been fitted, circumstances could have been very different.

“It is also important to take this opportunity to remind residents to ensure all fuel burners are fitted correctly by a professional and to remember to fit a carbon monoxide alarm at the same time.”

Fire crews from Wisbech and March were called to the property in Harolds Bank shortly after 11.30am this morning after the resident was overcome by fumes from what officials say was a wrongly fitted multi-fuel burner.

The woman had escaped from the property by the time the crews arrived and was treated by paramedics after complaining of feeling unwell.

WC Chelton said: “Luckily this resident heard the alarm go off and eventually called the fire service and left the property.

“We later found out the alarm had gone off a number of other times since the homeowners fitted the multi-fuel burner at the end of the last year, indicating there was a problem with fumes escaping and potentially putting the lives of the two residents that live in the property at risk.

“We would urge anyone who has a fuel-burning device, like a multi-fuel burner or an open fire, to fit a carbon monoxide alarm.

“If the alarm ever sounds and you can smell fumes or are concerned, do not hesitate, call 999 immediately and leave the property.”

Fire crews spent around 90 minutes at the scene ventilating the building.