Man rescued from smoke-filled flat

Apr 17 2009 By Rupert Basham

Firefighters rescued a man who became trapped in his sixth floor flat after it caught fire on Wednesday.

Crews from Walton were called to deal with a flat fire in Grenside Road, Weybridge just after 3.40pm and quickly realised the flat's occupant was trapped by smoke.

The block of 22 flats, owned by Elmbridge Housing Trust, was evacuated and the road was closed until 5.20pm.

Firefighters broke down a door to the flat and helped the man to safety. The man, who has not been named, was to St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey suffering from minor burns and smoke inhalation.

Grenside Road, resident, Louise Soares, said: "We saw a lot of activity, there were three fire engines, police and an ambulance. They were out there for about two hours, and the road was blocked off. There were quite a few people outside watching. I went out because my son wanted to talk to a policeman and find out what was happening."

Fire appliances from Painshill and Chertsey also attended the scene, and managed to extinguish the fire just after 4.00pm. The man's flat was cleared of smoke using a high pressure ventilation system.

Firefighter, Stef Morley, who attended the fire, said: "The gentleman concerned had a very lucky escape on this occasion. Fire crews arrived in good time and all services present worked well together toward a safe and successful conclusion of this very serious incident. We would encourage the public to arrange a home fire safety visit through their local fire station, particularly those living in highrise accommodation."

An investigation is being carried out to determine the cause of the fire, but at the moment it is being treated as accidental. The flat sustained a little fire damage, but was far badly affected by smoke damage.