A MOTHER and her son-in-law were saved from a house fire by neighbours raising the alarm – now they want to thank the men who told them to get out before flames could take hold.

Pensioner Joan Adams and her son-in-law Michael Adams, 55, were at home at the semi-detached council house on Princess Crescent in Pentwyn, Trinant, when smoke began billowing from the roof on Sunday afternoon.

Not realising anything was wrong at first, Mrs Adams was still watching television while her son-in-law went out into the garden.

But as he went outside, two men walking past shouted that smoke was coming from the roof. He rushed inside to tell Mrs Adams to get out of the building, and to call 999.

Fire crews from Cefn Fforest and Abertillery arrived just before 3.30pm and doused the roof, where they believe an electrical fault triggered the blaze.

Mrs Adams, who has lived in the house for 40 years, said: “All the electrics went off. When we came outside, it was coming through the roof. I’ve been shaking, but I’ve calmed down a bit now.”

At a friend’s house where she stayed overnight following the fire, she said: “The fire service have all been very good and very helpful.

Michael Adams added: “We’re just lucky it happened in the day and not the night when we would have been asleep. We just thought, ‘Get out and get the fire brigade!’”

He said he thought the men who raised the alarm lived on Pentwyn Terrace and were in their 40s, but didn’t know their names.

“We want to say thanks for having spotted the smoke,” he said. “It could have been a lot worse.”

Firefighters said a new roof and ceilings may need fitting, and it may be some time before they can return.

No-one was injured in the fire, which was confined to the attic, but fire crews were there for several hours damping down hotspots after extinguishing the flames using breathing apparatus and a hose reel .

l If you helped the family, call Jen Millson 01633 777235.