Dramatic rooftop resc catches fire for secon
TWO PEOPLE were taken to hospital following a fire in Reading town centre last week.
Emergency services were called to Station Hill just before 11.40am on Thursday, November 23, after a building at One Station Hill caught fire. It is thought to be a rooftop terrace.
It is understood that construction work was taking place, but it is not known if that caused the blaze.
Buildings were evacuated, and footage of a cage being hoisted on to the affected roof has been circulated on social media.
This was to enact a rooftop rescue of a worker who was next to the blaze.
It took crews from Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service around 20 minutes to bring the blaze under control, but the aftermath took longer to resolve.
A spokesperson for the service said: “At 11.38am on Thursday, 23 November, we received reports of a fire in Reading.
“A number of our crews are currently on the scene. While emergency services work, we ask that people avoid the area where possible and close windows and doors if you live or work nearby.
“Thank you for your patience while we deal with this incident. Updates will continue to be provided through our website incident feed.”
The quick actions of everyone was noticed by the world, with footage of the rescue played on national news bulletins in Thailand, as well as making front pages of national newspapers.
Wayne Bowcock, Chief Fire Officer, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Following the fire in Reading town centre, I would like to add my thanks to the crane operator for an incredibly skilful rescue under extremely difficult circumstances. Without their actions, we may be looking at an entirely different scenario.
“On behalf of the Service, I would like to extend our best wishes to the two people who were rescued from the building and wish them a speedy recovery.
“At the height of the fire, more than 50 of our firefighters and Officers attended the scene rapidly and worked quickly and aggressively, with support from Police, Ambulance and other partners to extinguish the fire, which had developed into a substantial fire.
“Thank you for the professionalism and dedication shown by all responders, as well as members of the Reading community for your patience and messages of support.”
On the day, emergency crews set up an incident unit at the base of Thames Tower, and police closed roads in the neighbouring area, including Friar Street. Buses were diverted, causing heavy traffic across the town.
And a spokesperson for South Central Ambulance Service said they were on site to support the fire and rescue service as they worked on the building.
“Two people to the Royal Berkshire Hospital for further assessment and treatment for smoke inhalation, neither of whom were severe cases,” they said.
“We were on standby supporting the fire service, a standard operational procedure when they are working at height and at scale.
“We have our Hazardous Area Response Team, an ambulance, the Thames Valley Air Ambulance critical care car, an operational commander, a tactical advisor and a tactIcal commander at the scene.”
Eyewitness Chris said he