Three people rescued from house fire in Laindon

Three people were rescued from a house fire in Laindon this morning.

Crews were called to a terraced house after a man called 999 to report a fire downstairs and said he was trapped upstairs with another person. He was also unsure whether a third person was inside the property.

Control Crew Manager Vanessa Osborne took the 999 call and provided vital fire survival guidance over the phone. She said:

“The man told me he was in the back bedroom with his sister and was unable to leave the house due to the amount of smoke downstairs. He was also unsure whether his mother was inside.

“I asked him to describe the situation, then advised him to close the door and put blankets behind it to stop smoke from entering. I told him to open a window, stay low to the floor, and helped him remain calm until crews arrived.”

When firefighters arrived, they found the ground floor was completely smoke-logged. Thanks to the information provided by Crew Manager Osborne, firefighters had a rough layout of the house and knew people were trapped inside.

Firefighter Phoebe Hutley, from Basildon Fire Station, has been in the role for just four months. This was her first incident where people had been trapped inside. She said:

“I was number two going in, which means I was behind another firefighter. We were both wearing breathing apparatus and using thermal imaging cameras to help search for people.

“We searched the house and quickly made our way upstairs to find the trapped occupants. At the same time, other firefighters outside pitched a ladder to the window, which allowed us to help all three people out to safety. Saving someone's life is an incredible feeling and that's what we are here for.”

Firefighters then extinguished the fire, which started in the lounge, and cleared the house of smoke.

Following a fire investigation, the cause has been recorded as accidental, most likely due to candles.

Watch Manager Mark Blakebrough, from Basildon Fire Station, said:

“It’s really important to extinguish candles whenever you leave a room. Fires can spread quickly and produce a lot of smoke, which can be just as deadly.

“Our number one piece of advice is to make sure you have working smoke alarms on every level of your home - they will alert you to the first signs of fire.”

The house has suffered significant fire and smoke damage and is no longer habitable. All three occupants suffered smoke inhalation and were left in the care of the Ambulance Service.