Family in house fire rescued by neighbours
A mother and her two children were rescued from their Halesowen home by neighbours today after the front door was set alight in a suspected arson attack.
David Burford and his son Josh put a ladder to a back window at the house in Elizabeth Road, to bring the woman and youngsters to safety.
Police and fire crews were called to the address at 1am today.
The mother and her children, a girl aged five and a three-year-old boy, were treated for smoke inhalation but suffered no serious injury.
Mr Burford, 44, said he had been woken by his wife Kay at around 1am after she heard screams coming from the neighbouring house.
Fire crews were able to bring the blaze, confined to the front door and hallway, under control quickly.
The family went to stay with relatives while the house was boarded up and an investigation was launched into the fire.
Police today said a 36-year-old man had been arrested from another address in Halesowen and was being questioned on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.
Det Insp Gary Dring said neighbours had bravely helped during the situation.
"We could easily have been dealing with the tragic deaths of two young children," he said.
