A family of seven had their home in Athlone gutted by a fire early yesterday morning just two minutes after a smoke alarm alerted them to the flames.
Niall Cribbon, a father of five, said: "There are seven people alive today who would definitely be dead if it weren't for the smoke alarm. We are a walking advertisement for the benefits of smoke alarms."
Mr Cribbon and his wife, Maeve, were woken by the alarm just before 4am and grabbed their five children. "Every step down the stairs was torture as we were taking in a lot of smoke," said Mr Cribbon.
"We were just outside the door when the window in the front sitting-room blew out. All of this happened in a two-minute period after we heard the smoke alarm first." It is thought a candle may have caused the fire, but Mr Cribbon was yesterday celebrating the fact that he is "religious" about checking the batteries in the smoke alarm. "We have had the smoke alarms in the house for the four years since we moved in, and I would never live in a house without them," he said.
Mr and Ms Cribbon and their eight-month-old daughter Orianna required some minor hospital treatment for smoke inhalation but were released within a few hours. The other children were unharmed.
"The house is totally destroyed, but we'll manage," said Mr Cribbon.
Local Garda sergeant Kieran Williams described the family's escape as "miraculous". He said: "The smoke alarm saved the day and it is great that everyone is safe and well."