3 December 2007

Firefighters rescued a boy from a house fire in Milton Keynes on Saturday afternoon.

They were called to the three-storey end-of-terrace home in Beadlemead, Netherfield, at 3.17pm. First to arrive, four minutes after being alerted by the control room, was a crew from Great Holm which happened to be carrying out a Home Fire Risk Check in nearby Coffee Hall. Another crew from Great Holm and one from Broughton also attended, along with Group Manager Calum Bell and Station Manager Mick Carson.

Firefighters Russell Thorne and Paul Henderson from Great Holm's Green Watch entered the house wearing breathing apparatus and carrying a hose reel. They found the 10-year-old boy lying on the first-floor hallway floor suffering from smoke inhalation. They carried him out and gave him oxygen therapy, and he was then taken to hospital by South Central Ambulance Service.

A second breathing apparatus team then went in to carry out a further search and continue extinguishing the fire, which is believed to have started in the first-floor sitting room. Firefighters used a Positive Pressure Ventilation fan to clear away the smoke.

Crew Manager Frazer Lewis from Great Holm's Green Watch said. "The crews were very quick and very professional and we're all over the moon that we got the boy out in time. Another couple of minutes and it could have been a different story."