Firefighters give life-saving first aid to man after Derbyshire house blaze

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service was alerted to the blaze, on Ray Street, Heanor, at 11.15pm on Sunday night.

Firefighters from Heanor, Ilkeston and Nottinghamshire’s Eastwood attended the fire, supported by the Aerial Ladder Platform from Ascot Drive.

On arrival, fire crews found the bathroom to be well alight and the upstairs floor of the building was heavily smoke logged.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus went inside the property, put out the fire and rescued one elderly gentleman, performing Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) before handing him into the care of paramedics.

Station Manager Dean Gazzard said: “Firefighters worked in extremely arduous conditions to rescue the male occupant from his bedroom, performing vital CPR until the arrival of paramedics.”

Following a fire investigation the most probable cause of the fire has been determined as flammable materials being left too close to a heater in the bathroom.

Area Manager Bob Curry said: “Unfortunately there weren’t any working smoke alarms fitted in the property, but thankfully the occupants were alerted to the fire and the female occupant was able to escape and make her way to the neighbours property to raise the alarm.”

Firefighters and Community Safety Officers will be out and about over the next few days, in the local community providing fire safety advice and information.

Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service would like to remind people of the following safety advice:

Have a working smoke alarm fitted on every level of the home and test it weekly.

Working smoke alarms can give vital early warning of a fire, allowing occupants time to Get Out, Stay Out and Call 999

Have a pre-planned and practiced escape plan that everyone in the home is aware of.

Never leave flammable materials close to heaters or other sources of heat.