A heroic member of the public has been praised by firefighters after he rescued two elderly neighbours from a burning building.
A call came into the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) control room at 7.33am yesterday (Thursday), reporting a house fire at an address in Bournmoor.
Within eight minutes, crews arrived at the scene to fight the fire and found the two elderly residents, who had been trapped inside a bedroom, had already been rescued by selfless neighbour Steven Todd, 55, whose commute to work had been delayed when he paused to clear the ice off his work van.
It’s at that point he heard shouts of ‘FIRE’ from a neighbouring property and quickly sprang into action, getting someone else to ring 999 before the skilled window fitter, who is used to working at height, rushed to get a ladder and perform a swift rescue.
Satisfied that no other people were trapped inside, crews immediately sought to fight the kitchen fire, swiftly bringing it under control and extinguishing the blaze within minutes of arriving.
The elderly residents were taken to hospital, and it is not believed that they’re suffering from any life-threatening injuries.
Discussing the rescue, humble Steven said: “When I heard shouts of ‘FIRE’ and realised what was happening, I just knew I had to do something.
“It was the right thing to do – I didn’t need to think twice, I had the equipment, and I just did it.
“After I knew everyone was safe, I went to work as normal. The Watch Manager shook my hand to say thanks but the only thanks I needed was knowing I’d helped.”
High Handenhold Watch Manager (WM) Scott Forward was one of the first on the scene, praising Steven, he said: “While we wouldn’t normally encourage members of the public to put themselves at risk, there’s no denying Steven’s actions were one of a true hero.
“As a trained window fitter, he’s no stranger to being up at height and acted calmy and quickly to make sure the residents were brought to safety fast. He has the makings of a firefighter and he has our praise and admiration – thank you Steven!”
He added: “We sent three fire engines from our own service, assisted by one crew from Tyne and Wear, and I also want to thank the crews for their quick actions – within minutes they assessed the fire and successfully put it out.”
Discussing the importance of fire alarms, WM Forward said: “The property had smoke alarms fitted but they weren’t working, luckily the occupants woke up and were able to shout for help.
“Smoke alarms are lifesaving pieces of equipment, and every home should have a working one on each floor.
“CDDFRS fit them for free to any home that requires them, and we encourage people to check their alarms weekly. We also encourage people to check the fire alarms of their family, friends and neighbours who they believe might struggle to check them themselves.”
To find out more about Home Fire Safety Visits, visit here: Free Home Fire Safety Visit | County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (ddfire.gov.uk)
