Hero dad saved daughter from house blaze
A DAD ran into a burning house to rescue his teenage daughter and a pet dog.
Nick Murphy had gone out to collect his wife Lorraine from work when a fire broke out at their family home in Heywood at around 3.30pm on Monday.
His daughter Isabel, 15, called Nick saying there was black smoke coming from downstairs.
The couple rushed back but by the time they arrived home, the kitchen was engulfed by flames with smoke billowing from the windows.
Nick, 55, ran straight into the property to find Isabel, who was waiting by her bedroom door with their pet chihuahua Rolo wrapped in a blanket.
He then managed to guide Isabel and Rolo down the stairs through thick black smoke and outside to safety.
They escaped unhurt, yet the fire destroyed their house and all of their belongings.
Lorraine, 55, says they are all still in shock by what happened.
“When we got back to the house the smoke was so thick we couldn’t see our hands in front of our faces,” the mum said.
“We knew Isabel was home because she was the one who called us to say the house was on fire, I was panicking because the firefighters still hadn’t arrived and she was trapped in her bedroom.
“I was running around like a headless chicken, but Nick put a coat over his face and ran up the stairs even though he couldn’t see his feet.
“He grabbed Isabel and took her downstairs with the dog. He’s a hero, I can’t believe how brave he was.
“We may have lost our house, but because of him we’ve still got our daughter.”
The couple say they have been overwhelmed by the kind support of people in their community.
For now they are living in a rented house until their home has been repaired, which could take months.
Nick said: “We can’t get over how kind people have been with us. People have really rallied round and I don’t know how to thank them all.
“We’ve had offers through for all sorts of things and it really has meant the world to us.”
Lorraine, who works at an NHS rehabilitation centre, added: “We’ve lost almost all our belongings.
“The worst part is we are not covered insurance wise and will need to find all of the money ourselves in order to pay for the repairs.” A GoFundMe page set up by their son George has so far raised more than £4,000 to help them get back on their feet.
He’s a hero – I can’t believe how brave he was Lorraine Murphy