Baby rescued from roof of burning flats

A man and a baby were rescued from the roof of a block of flays yesterday after a fire broke out.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service rescued the man and a baby from the roof of flats in Ketton Close, Luton.

Fire Control were called at 12.36 about a fire in Ketton Court and sent fire engines from Stopsley and Luton Community Fire Stations to the incident. When they arrived six minutes later Firefighters discovered the blaze was in a four storey block of flats and activated the Fire Service’s high rise plan. A further fire engine from Luton Community Fire Station was also sent to the scene supported by the Luton Aerial Platform.

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Firefighters fought the fire using fire hoses , wearing breathing apparatus to protect themselves against smoke and fumes, and extinguished the fire by 1.04. They then cleared smoke from the building using positive pressure ventilation.

During the incident a man from the flat above where the fire started, self-evacuated by climbing onto the roof of an adjoining building. He then had a young baby passed to him. Firefighters used the Luton Aerial Platform to rescue him and the baby from the roof.

Station Commander Lorraine Moore said: “The fire did not affect any of the other flats in this block and we had it quickly under control. However a man from the flat above climbed onto the roof of an adjoining building with a baby and was then unable to get back down. To ensure their safety we used the Aerial Platform to evacuate them from the roof”.

“Our advice is that if you live in a block of flats, and your flat is not affected by fire or smoke it is safer for you to remain in your flat. Firefighters will assess whether any other flats need to be evacuated and if so, will ensure that this is carried out. Once the fire is extinguished they will clear the corridors of any smoke that may have entered them.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The incident was closed at 13.49

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