A DISABLED man was rescued by caring neighbours after a fire broke out at a flat in Eastbourne last night.
Fire crews rushed to Clandon House in Wakehurst Road at 7.07pm after plumes of smoke were spotted coming from a first-floor bedroom window.
The accidental fire started in the bedroom due to a discarded cigarette, which had not been properly extinguished.
On discovering there was a fire in the bedroom and unable to escape via the corridor, which had filled with smoke, the occupants of the flat stuffed a damp towel along the bottom of the door of the room that they were in.
A man dropping off his grandson immediately raised the alarm by contacting East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service and broke all alarm call points. This enabled occupants of the block of flats to self-evacuate. Meanwhile, a member of public from the neighbourhood placed a ladder on the outside of the property and one of the trapped men was helped to safety.
When crews arrived they helped the second man down the ladder along with a dog.
Watch Commander Kevin Sharpe said, “We would like to commend the passer by who raised the alarm which enabled everyone else to self-evacuate. We would remind smokers to extinguish any smoking materials or matches thoroughly before leaving them and, again, take this opportunity to emphasise the need for all householders to ensure they have at least one working smoke alarm in their properties”
The occupants were checked over by paramedics but did not go to hospital.
Comments