South Yorkshire firefighters rescued a 52-year-old Sheffield man from his blazing house in the early hours of Friday morning.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus found him unconscious on his bedroom floor in Wheatfield Crescent, Shiregreen, at around 3.00am. After being rescued, he was given emergency treatment for burns and smoke inhalation before being taken to hospital.
The fire is thought to have started after the bed caught fire due to carelessly discarded smoking materials, and Watch Manager Dave Green said: “It is well documented that smoking in bed is a regular cause of house fires. This incident shows how dangerous that can be.”
The entire bedroom was fire damaged, with the rest of the house suffering from smoke damage. A female resident had been able to escape the blaze before the arrival of fire crews.
Bin Fire Warning
Thorne firefighters have warned of the dangers of wheelie bin fires after four bins were set on fire close to properties on Ellison Road.
The fires were deliberated started just after 2.00am on Friday morning, with one of the bins placed within feet of the back doors of two flats.
Watch Manager Martin Wheeldon said: “This is an example of how anti-social behaviour could potentially turn into a life threat. Fortunately on this occasion the bin fires did not spread to the flats but I understand that these back doors would have been the occupants’ only means of escape, and they would have been blocked by the burning bins.”
SYFR works with local communities and partner organisations to try to minimise anti-social behaviour fires. Residents can take the precaution of storing their wheelie bin away from their property if possible, to reduce any risk of an external fire spreading to their house.
Firefighters will return to the Ellison Road flats this evening to fit free smoke alarms. Any South Yorkshire resident can receive a free home fire safety check, and free smoke alarms where appropriate, by calling (0114) 253 2314.