Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Street sweeper to rescue in flat fire
A WOMAN has thanked two men who rushed into her burning flat and rescued her from the flames.
Mijin Lee described street sweeper Dominik Ordanski and an unknown man as “heroes” after they saved her from her burning flat in Blackness Avenue on Monday.
Mr Ordanski, 35, leapt into action after spotting the blaze and seeing Mijin “panicking” on the balcony.
He ran into the property with another passerby and brought the fire under control with buckets of water, and took Mijin out of the flat before firefighters arrived.
Mijin, 38, said her husband was at work and her son was at school when the fire broke out.
“Suddenly, I smelled smoke, so I checked the other side of my room,” she said. “I realised there was a fire on the balcony side.
“I tried to put the fire out with a water bucket, but it was not enough.
“The fire was getting higher to the end of the roof.
“I couldn’t make an emergency call because of panic. So I cried outside and suddenly two guys came upstairs.
“They helped to try to put out the fire with buckets of water. Without them, my house was close to major damage.
“I have to say thanks to them so much. They are heroes to me.
“We are a family of foreign students from South Korea and we can feel the kindness from the people who live here.”
Mr Ordanski said: “I was walking up the street when I saw the smoke coming from the flat.
“Myself and another passerby just jumped into the closie and managed to get inside. We managed to get her out and we extinguished the blaze with buckets of water before the fire brigade came.”
Two fire engines were called to the scene just after 9.30am. Two hose reel jets were used by crews to bring the flames under control following the efforts of the two Good Samaritans.
A Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said there was no indication as to what caused the blaze.
Mr Ordanski, of Hilltown, added: “She was just shocked and I think she was grateful for the help. I didn’t think twice about it — it’s something I would always do if somebody is in trouble.”