22 December 2008

Firefighters led 10 people to safety after a fire in a block of flats cut off their main escape route.

They were called to Park Place in Amersham at 4.03am on Saturday by a quick-thinking occupant, who managed to evacuate one of the 12 flats before they arrived.

The fire started in a paper recycling bin in the ground-floor lobby and filled the stairwell of the three-storey building with smoke.

A crew from Amersham Fire Station dealt with the fire with a hose reel and then cleared away the smoke using a powerful fan before helping six men and four women out of the building. The occupants – one of whom was suffering from the effects of breathing in smoke – were allowed back in about 45 minutes later.

Crew Manager Andy Pennick, who was in charge of the incident, said: "On our arrival we were met by a young man who led us directly to the affected block and informed us that he had woken everyone in his flat and got them outside.

"He told us he was alerted by a smoke alarm and opened his front door to see smoke and flames in the stairwell.

"He helped us a great deal, and we would like to thank him for this – and to congratulate him for the way in which he removed his family and friends from a very dangerous situation in a safe and calm manner."

Early indications are that fire was started deliberately. Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service started a fire investgation while the crew was still at the scene.