Pandy house fire: Three people in their 90s hospitalised following a 'serious' blaze

Three elderly people fled a 'serious' house fire which wrecked a large house after cooking was left unattended.

Firefighters were called to the detached property in Pandy, Llangollen, at 4.15pm on Sunday (November 14) afternoon.

The three elderly occupants, all in their nineties, were taken to hospital, and two of those, a man and a woman, remain in hospital receiving precautionary checks.

At the height of the incident, six crews were in attendance, with firefighters from Llangollen, Johnstown, Wrexham, Cerrigydrudion and Bala tackling the fire.

Crews from Chirk, Wrexham, Buckley and Mold also attended in the evening and overnight.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service warned that leaving cooking unattended for any length of time could have disastrous consequences and thanked the community for their help.

Firefighter Steve Houghton, who attended the blaze, said: "Firstly, I’d like to thank the local community for supporting the great work of our crews in tackling this fire – as part of the firefighting operations, due to the location of the fire we used the portable pumping unit to access water from the river Ceiriog.

"Local residents assisted us with this set up, which allowed firefighters access to water to tackle the fire.

"This was a serious fire in a large building, and our firefighters worked well in difficult conditions.

"The residents were out of the house on our arrival, and my thoughts are with them and their family during this stressful time – we all hope they make a full recovery.

“The seriousness of the fire also meant the closure of a road which is the only route into the valley - once again, my thanks go to local residents and those travelling in the area for their patience.

“The devastating damage shows just how destructive fire can be - and time and time again we attend house fires which have started in the kitchen - it's so easy to forget your cooking, especially if you are tired, distracted or have been drinking.

"Our message is clear - never turn your back on your cooking, even for a minute. Leaving any cooking unattended for any length of time can have disastrous results.

"Smoke alarms save lives - the early warning provided by a smoke alarm can provide vital minutes to help you escape unharmed.

“I’d ask everyone to consider elderly or vulnerable family or neighbours, and ensure they are safe too."