Victim recalls ‘unbearably hot’ fire at Watford hostel

 

Victim recalls ‘unbearably hot’ fire at Watford hostel

 

Arthur Nowak was taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. (Image: Arthur Nowak/Shannon Binks/Canva)

The victim of a fire at a Watford hostel has said he feels “grateful to have been given a second life” after being hospitalised.

 

Arthur Nowak, 53, was staying at the One YMCA hostel in Epsom Road when a blaze broke out on February 10.

 

Recalling the ordeal, he told the Watford Observer: “I was sitting at my computer as always, in my wheelchair, when suddenly, I smelled something strange.

 

“I don’t know how long I closed my eyes while sitting in the same spot in my wheelchair. I was awakened by an intense burning sensation on my face from the flames.”

 

 

Arthur continued: “I turned slightly to the right, and in front of me, I saw a wall of fire in front of my face and body, hellish hot flames surrounding me.”

 

He says that it was “with God’s help” that he was able to roll himself out of the burning room, escaping “as flames engulfed my room”.

 

 

Arthur was taken to Mount Vernon Hospital in Northwood to be treated for smoke inhalation. After being released, he was moved to the Travelodge in Elstree.

 

Reflecting on that night, he said: “It was unbearably hot, the fire spread quickly, and I felt trapped in a tin can with a broken opener. These feelings only truly hit me two days later.”

 

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Looking to the future, he added: “I am grateful to have been given a second life, but I am still in shock, and I keep seeing it all in my mind. Now I understand what people feel when they cannot escape their homes in such a situation.”

 

 

Arthur feels that it is “impossible” to fully describe what he felt that night, because the images are still in his mind and block him being able to fully articulate the horror he felt.

 

At the time, fellow resident Shannon Binks described the scene as “very chaotic and panicked” as police and fire crews battled the blaze.

 

The 19-year-old said: “They managed to put the fire out in about an hour before it spread but the ground floor had no power and there was lots of smoke. It was an incredibly frightening experience.”

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