‘Firefighters saved one man’s life and I can’t praise them enough’

‘Firefighters saved one man’s life and I can’t praise them enough’

14 December 2016

A SENIOR Fire and Rescue Service official said lives could have been lost in the arson attack.

Gerry Lennon, the organisation’s district commander for the Downpatrick area, said five fire appliances and 25 firefighters tackled the blaze which spread to properties in the nearby Mourne View estate in Newcastle.

He said crews were met with a well developed fire when they arrived at Burrendale Park Road, explaining the blaze spread quickly from the oil tanks, engulfing the flats and damaging homes and a garage in Mourne View.

Mr Lennon said members of the Newcastle crew rescued one resident from his first floor flat who was evacuated out of a window and helped to the ground using a ladder.

“This was a fantastic, swift and professional rescue by the Newcastle crew. The outcome here could have been horrendous given the scale of the fire. The local firefighters saved one man’s life and I cannot praise them enough. Getting someone down a ladder is a difficult job but it was done safely,” he continued.

The fire chief said two appliances from Downpatrick assisted the Newcastle crews, while a specialist aerial platform tender from Portadown helped tackle the blaze from above.

“At one point we had 25 fire fighters and without doubt there could have been fatalities here. A number of the residents managed to get themselves out, while the local crew were able to rescue another from his upstairs flat,” said Mr Lennon.

The fire chief said smoke alarms in the flats complex helped alert residents to the fire and stressed the importance of having these in the home.

He added: “Quite a number of residents were able to get out before fire crews arrived and we are glad everyone is safe. Things could have been very different.”