Rescue in Willenhall fire

Feb 25 2008 By Tony Deeley

A SLEEPING man was rescued by firefighters from a blaze which led to the evacuation of a block of flats in the Midlands.

The man, who had no smoke alarm, was taken to New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, along with a woman and child from an upstairs flat, who were among ten "panicking" people evacuated after gathering on a staircase.

Fire chiefs said today the man, in his mid-30s, was fortunate to survive the fire after they broke into his flat to find him asleep in the lounge as his kitchen blazed.

They were also critical of neighbours for not staying safely indoors.

The fire broke out just after 8.30 pm yesterday in the kitchen of the man's ground floor flat in the three-storey block of flats in Lowry Close at Willenhall where food on the cooker had overheated.

Watch Commander Paul Johnson of Bilston fire station said a passer-by raised the alarm after seeing smoke coming from the man's flat.

"On arrival we found a severe fire in the kitchen. We had to force an entry and rescued one man. He was extremely fortunate. He had no smoke alarms and was asleep and unaware there was a raging fire going on around him.

"Had he not had the lounge door shut then quite clearly the outcome would have been very different."

Mr Johnson said smoke had billowed up the communal staircase where people - including a woman and her four year-old daughter - had assembled after leaving their flats in apparent panic.

All were evacuated and the woman and child were taken to hospital after inhaling smoke.

"People saw the fire engines downstairs and the smoke gathering and and came out to check their own safety only to be met by thick, choking smoke. Some could not find their way back to their flats. They would have been safer staying inside "

He added: "It is imperative people have smoke alarms fitted. The fire service will do a free safety check and fit alarms free of charge. We shall be targeting this area while the fire is still fresh in people's minds."