A MOTHER is urging families to have a bedtime safety routine in place after escaping a kitchen fire in Stretford overnight.

The blaze broke out at around 2am at the house on Braemar Avenue.

The heat of the blaze was so intense it took plasterboard off the kitchen ceiling and walls, however, the rest of the downstairs was relatively untouched.

Firefighters said a smoke alarm, along with closing all doors before the family went to bed, may well have saved their lives.

The family managed to escape unhurt after their smoke alarm woke them up and alerted them to the blaze.

Mother of two, Ayshea Hafeez -Ahmed, said: “I cannot praise the firefighters enough, they were absolutely brilliant, all of them. "Fortunately we did have working smoke alarms and all doors closed which stopped the fire from being far worse than it was.

“The crew members who looked after us were fantastic, they were really considerate and before putting the freezer outside they even removed photographs of my children so I could keep them.

“They definitely went above and beyond what they were required to do.”

Watch manager, John Burgess, said: "The family had done everything right in terms of safety - the smoke alarm they had fitted woke them up and closing the doors had not only protected their safe route out of the house but also contained the fire to the kitchen and helped limit the smoke damage.

"It was really stark the difference closing the doors made - there was quite a severe fire in the kitchen, damage had been caused to the flooring and skirting boards, plaster had come off the walls and ceiling due to the heat but in the adjacent hallway there was just some minor smoke damage."

The family were already outside when crew from Stretford and Sale arrived at around 2.20am.

A GMFRS trauma technician gave them oxygen and they were taken to Wythenshawe Hospital by paramedics.

Firefighters used four breathing apparatus, two hose reels and positive pressure ventilation to extinguish the fire.

They were at the scene for just under an hour.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service provides safety advice during free Home Safety Checks.

For more information visit manchesterfire.gov.uk or call 0800 555 815.