Browse Sections

• Education
• Special reports

Fire heroes save couple

Emma Mountford
1/ 5/2008

BRAVE neighbours have been hailed heroes after they rushed to the rescue of a couple trapped in a smoke-logged house.

The five courageous men put aside concerns for their personal safety as they battled to save the man and woman who are thought to have been unconscious in the bedrooms of their home.

Next-door neighbour Derek Massey, 42, was first on the scene and entered the property after smelling toxic fumes coming from the house.

"I tried to kick the door in then realised it was open," he said. "I was trying to shout them both. The smoke was billowing out, you couldn't even see your hand in front of you face."

It was then that four young men walking up the road also spotted the smoke and raced into the house and up the stairs.

Derek and the heroic foursome managed to drag the man from the property.

They then returned for a second time to rescue the woman who was in the back bedroom. An ex-fire officer is also believed to have been helping at the scene.

Derek, a father-of-three, said: "You couldn't see anything. There was a terrible smell like burnt plastic. The four lads just rushed up the stairs and I followed them. They were both unconscious. I think (the woman) was almost gone."

The fire brigade say they were called to the house, on Dale Road, Boarshaw, at around 9.15pm on Thursday night.

A pan, left unattended on the cooker, is thought to have melted and caused the overwhelming cloud of smoke.

Derek added: "A few more minutes and I think the house would have gone up in flames. They are very lucky."The couple was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene but refused hospital treatment.

Another neighbour Sylvia Fitton added: "The youth of this estate are always being put down. You couldn't see in that house for smoke, but then there's these four young fellas who, without a thought for themselves, just charged into the house.

"All of them, including Derek, were very brave to go in there. I'm proud to know them.

"If it hadn't been for these five they would have been goners. Two lives could have been lost."

Firefighters from Heywood and Blackley attended the scene and are now planning on installing smoke detectors in the property.

Watch manager, John Wilkinson said: "The rescuers did an excellent job. Without their involvement it could have been a much more serious incident."