THREE Ellesmere Port residents were told they were two minutes away from death in a house fire.
Elaine Thompson, 49, her daughter Daisy Hardwick, 20 and Daisys boyfriend Jason Farley, 23, had all been asleep at Ms Thompsons home in Rhuddlan Court, Stanney Grange at 3am on Monday when Mr Farley smelled smoke.
He woke his girlfriend up and the pair leapt from a first floor bedroom window as the flames beneath them spread rapidly.
All three were later taken to hospital to be tested for smoke inhalation.
An electrical fault close to the TV in the lounge is suspected to be the cause of the blaze which tore through the house and has now left every room smoke damaged.
Repair costs are estimated at £30,000.
But as the family count the financial cost, with a garden full of burnt furniture, a melted Nintendo Wii, destroyed photographs and damaged CDs they admit they are lucky to be alive.
Miss Hardwick, who works at Iceland, said: Everything has gone, all the memories we have had.
Her boyfiriend Mr Farley added: I just woke up and smelled smoke, Im quite a light sleeper.
The firefighters said another two minutes and we wouldnt be here today.
Her mum was stuck in the bedroom because the window was too hot.
I thought they were goners.
Daisy added: I hit my back on the windowsill on the way down. As soon as we got mum out it blew up.
Mr Farley explained what happened when the pair managed to escape the house after a crowd of neighbours gathered outside.
I had to flying kick the door off with no clothes on in front of about 40 people, naked, he added.
The main thing is we got out it could have been a different story.
The pair had only moved in with Ms Thompson two days before on a temporary basis while they wait for another property.
They have now been left wondering what would have happened had Jason Farley not been there.
The young couple are now staying at his parents house.
His boss at Menzies Distribution has given him £200 to buy new clothes and allowed him to stay off work for as long as it takes for the family to get back on their feet.
Two fire engines from Ellesmere Port fire station and one from Chester joined the fight to control the flames using two hose reels and one main jet. Four firefighters entered the property wearing breathing apparatus and Mr Farley said they had the fire out in two minutes.
Crew manager Paul Donaghy, at Ellesmere Port fire station said: We were there for nearly four hours. The three in the property were out of the premises before we attended.
The people in neighbouring properties were evacuated as a precaution. An investigation is ongoing.
