Hero plasterer saves family trio from microwave blaze

A BRAVE plasterer rescued three generations of the same family from a blaze in their home.

• Colin Davies ushered the family outside and vented the house of smoke

Colin Davies, 39, leapt into action after seeing smoke billowing from a window of the house in Prestonpans at 3.40pm on Tuesday as he left a nearby shop.

Darting into the house, he found a 62-year-old grandmother, an 87-year-old great-grandmother and a 14-year-old grandson in a panic as a fire in a microwave threatened to ignite the whole kitchen.

Mr Davies, who works for East Lothian Council, swiftly wrapped his hands in towels before carrying the flaming microwave into the back garden where he put out the fire. He then ushered the family outside and vented the property of smoke.

"I came out of the newsagent and could smell fumes, like burning plastic, and looked up to see smoke pouring from an upstairs window of the house," he said. "The smoke alarms were ringing and as I went over to the house I could hear people screaming, 'please help us'.

"You've got to help when something like this happens. There were people standing outside saying, 'that house is on fire' but weren't really doing anything but if someone is shouting for help it's a matter of natural instinct to run and do what you can.

"The house was full of smoke when I went in and the family seemed like they didn't know what do to. They were shocked and panicking. So I took the microwave into the garden and put it out. When I saw the elderly lady, I thought I really have to get her out of the smoke, a few lungfuls of that and she could have been in trouble.

"It could have been much worse, that's for sure."

Mr Davies left just as fire crews pulled into Redburn Road and was lost in the group of onlookers outside. Thinking little of his bravery, he walked home and put his feet up.

"It's just one of these things I didn't really think a lot about it at all but I'm quite chuffed with myself that I did it," he said.

Fire crews from Musselburgh, Tranent and Newcraighall used thermal imaging to check for residual heat, while the three casualties were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene.

Meg Thomson-Hunter, 62, thanked Mr Davies for coming to her aid. "I'm so thankful, he did a great thing," she said.

"I was cooking pastry, I went up the stairs and came back and the next thing I couldn't see for smoke. Flames were flicking up out the cooker. I ran out and said someone has to phone 999."

Jill Graham, watch manager at Musselburgh who attended the blaze, praised Mr Davies' actions and warned that without his intervention the fire could have been much worse.

"It may well have been more dangerous if he hadn't been there and extinguished the microwave," she said. "He obviously assisted us in preventing further damage but our advice is always to call us, get out of the house and not to re-enter the property for any reason. But he extinguished the fire and prevented further damage to the property."