This is South Wales --A MUM says her family are lucky to be alive — and were only saved by their smoke alarm.
Mum-of-two Mandy Davies, 38, along with husband Roger, 43, and their two children Gracie, eight, and five-year-old Ffion, were tucked up in bed when fire broke out at their Gendros home.
Civil servant Mrs Davies heard a beeping noise and originally thought it was from a truck outside.
But suddenly she could smell acrid smoke inside their Middle Road home and rushed to put the light on.
She screamed at Roger to grab the children out of the house.
Mrs Davies rushed to get their pet alsatian Jessie from the kitchen where the smoke was billowing from.
She said: "I heard beeping and I thought it was a refuse truck outside.
"I could smell smoke — it was acrid.
"I put the light on and I could see the smoke had risen.
"I screamed for Roger to get the girls out."
She added: "I could see the smoke was coming under the kitchen door.
"I probably shouldn't have but I went back to get the dog.
"I called Jessie and she came through.
"I couldn't see her in the kitchen it was just black and she was in front of me."
Her neighbours had been trying to hammer the family's front door after spotting the smoke billowing from the property.
Mrs Davies said: "The neighbours were banging on the door — the girl next door went outside for a cigarette and she saw the smoke and rang the fire brigade.
"It was absolutely horrific — I have never seen anything like it in my life.
"I was inhaling that black smoke, it was horrific as it rips down your throat.
"It was the smoke alarm which saved us. The dog wouldn't have survived another 10 minutes in there."
The fire is understood to have started outside in the garden at 1.15am yesterday but Mrs Davies said the fire service was uncertain as to the exact cause.
Crews from both Swansea Central and Swansea West were called to the scene.
The tumble drier, food mixer, door and windows were all melted in the charred kitchen because of the strength of the blaze and the ceiling was cracked.
Mrs Davies said she was absolutely devastated at what had happened and said it had not been a good year for the family so far.
"I didn't think it was as bad as it was," she said.
"I am devastated but everything can be replaced.
"My children are safe, my husband is safe and the dog is safe.
"I never thought something like this would happen and I would say to people who do not have a smoke alarm that they should get one and not leave the batteries out — it's vital."
Mr Davies, who works in Admiral, said he was completely stunned at what had happened at their home.
"I have been in shock and I have not got my head around it," he said.
"I'm just so glad that everyone is safe."
The family had been out enjoying the day together at the Big Pit National Coal Museum in Blaenafon on Sunday.
They ended up spending yesterday carrying out a clean-up at their home.
A fire service spokeswoman said they were at the scene for some time.
"It started as a fire in the garden and it ended up spreading to the kitchen of the property of Middle Road in Gendros," she said. "We were there for two hours.
"The police did attend but the ambulance service was not required." Reported by This is 10 hours ago.