04/05/2006

Three rescued from Armagh fire

Three people have been rescued from a fire in a block of flats in County Armagh yesterday evening.

The blaze is believed to have started in the bedroom of an elderly woman's flat in the Banbrook Hill area of Armagh city just before 10pm, when an electric heater, which was placed beside a settee, caught fire.

It is understood that the owner of the flat tried to tackle the fire herself, however suffered burns to her hands.

A spokesperson for the Fire Service said that the woman was alerted to the inferno by a smoke alarm, but that she was lucky not to have been more seriously injured after attempting to tackle the blaze herself.

He said that the woman did something very dangerous when she opened a door, allowing oxygen reach the fire. He said: "The fire flared up and that's why she injured her hands protecting herself."

The woman managed to alert the fire brigade and was subsequently rescued from the flat and taken to Craigavon Area Hospital where she was treated for her injuries and the effects of smoke inhalation.

Two other people in nearby flats were also rescued during the incident.

(EF/SP)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

17 July 2001
ASSEMBLY CREATE AWARD TO HONOUR FIRE SERVICE
THE Northern Ireland Fire Service is to receive the first ever award given by the province's devolved assembly. An illuminated scroll is to be presented to Chief Fire Officer John McClelland on Tuesday, by assembly speaker Lord Alderdice in tribute to the sacrifice made by fire fighters over the years.
01 October 2024
NIFRS Launches Online Home Fire Safety Check Tool
The Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) has introduced a new online tool to help residents assess their home fire safety. The Home Fire Safety Check coincides with Fire Safety Week, which runs from September 30th to October 6th. The initiative aims to reduce the number of house fires in Northern Ireland.
05 April 2007
Three rescued from blaze in County Down
Two men and a woman have been rescued from a fire in County Down. The blaze is believed to have taken place some time around 11.35pm on Wednesday at flats in Hawthorn Walk in Dromore. It is understood firefighters entered the smoke-filled flat and rescued a 50-year-old man. He was given oxygen before an ambulance arrived.
03 September 2007
Three Rescued From Fire At Armagh Flats
Three people have been rescued from a fire at a block of flats at English Street in County Armagh. The blaze started in the early hours of Sunday morning and the fire service have described the fire as suspicious. Firefighters found a bin on fire at the foot of a staircase leading to two flats where a woman and two men were trapped.
31 January 2014
Five Rescued From Flats Fire In Newry
Five people have been rescued after a fire broke out at a set of flats in Newry, Co Down. The blaze happened at around 6.30pm on Thursday at St Mary's Street in the town. It is understood the fire started in a mid-terrace house that had been converted into flats.