Firefighters praised after disabled man saved from bungalow
A retired firefighter and neighbour to a bungalow fire in Swindon has described the incident.
Chris Howell rang emergency services at 3:06am on Wednesday morning after his dog alerted him and his wife to a blaze in the roof of a bungalow on Drove Road.
Several fire crews were on scene just two minutes later.
Chris said he saw a woman exit the bungalow while it was alight, but a disabled man was still inside the property and firefighters quickly brought him to safety.
He said he believed the woman was a night carer for the man.
Chris Howell, an eyewitness to the incident, said: “I live opposite and phoned the emergency services at 3:06am after my wife had discovered the fire after our dog had alerted us to it.
“My wife rushed over to the property whilst I was on the phone and a lady came out of the property, but it soon became apparent that a disabled man was still in there but couldn’t get out.
“Luckily by the time I got there the Fire Service turned up and performed the rescue. They did a really good job, they attended very quickly and were very organised and ready from the off, which isn’t easy with such a short distance between the fire station and the fire.”
A Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 3.08am this morning (13 November) to Drove Road, Swindon for a fire in the roof of a bungalow.
“At the height of the incident, we had crews in attendance from Swindon (x2), Stratton (x2), Westlea, Marlborough, Royal Wootton Bassett and Pewsey, together with the aerial ladder platform from Swindon and an incident command unit from Devizes.
“Six breathing apparatus wearers, two hose reel jets and a main jet have been used to tackle the fire. A male occupant of the property was brought to safety by firefighters and was handed into the care of the ambulance service.
“As at 5.15am, the incident has been scaled back to one crew. A road closure was put in place on Drove Road, on the Old Town side of Groundwell Road, but this should be lifted soon.
“A fire investigation will be carried out in due course.”
Drove Road was closed in both directions while fire crews battled the blaze and one fire engine remains at the scene conducting an investigation into the cause of the fire.
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