Man “lucky to be alive” after Huddersfield blaze

Nov 11 2009 By Hazel Ettienne

Man “lucky to be alive” after Huddersfield blaze

Firefighters said he was lucky to be alive and the incident could have easily turned into a fatality.

Watch manager Andy Blackburn from Huddersfield fire station said the prompt actions of people living in the complex had saved the man’s life.

Crews from Huddersfield and Elland were sent to the blaze which started in the ground floor flat of the four-storey building.

Fire investigators are still trying to find out the cause of the blaze which badly damaged the flat and smoke- logged the rest of the building.

The Red Cross emergency support vehicle from Pudsey helped deal with emergency housing for the men overnight.

Watch manager Blackburn said: “There could have easily been fatalities in this fire. The quick-thinking actions of the other residents in the bedsits and their attempts at tackling the fire helped saved lives.’’

He said other residents were awakened by smoke alarms fitted in the property.

Fire crews visited other homes in the Trinity Street area of the town yesterday offering free fire home safety checks and fitting smoke detectors.