A FAMILY of seven has had a lucky escape following a blaze at their Cauldon home.
The family was forced to find temporary accommodation after a fire in a bedroom set alight four bunk beds, a wardrobe and a carpet on Friday night.
Several neighbours also had to evacuate their homes while the fire at the Church Road property was brought under control.
Fire crews from Ipstones and Cheadle attended the incident at 7.35pm, and four fire-ighters wearing breathing apparatus tackled the blaze, which is believed to have started when embers from a ground floor fireplace became lodged in the chimney flue.
Watch manager Les Jackson said: “If this fire had started a couple of hours later we could be dealing with something a lot worse.
The bunkbeds were destroyed.
“The family got home from shopping and noticed thick smoke coming from the roof, chimney and windows. They immediately dialled 999.
“Crews gained access to the property and after searching the loft space noticed smoke had spread to neighbouring properties, so the decision was taken to evacuate these.
“We would urge everyone to check their flues on a regular basis to make sure they are clean and working efficiently.
“Better still, if you have an old chimney flue, get it replaced with a brand new one.”