MAN DIES IN FIRE TRAGEDY
BLAZE AT TERRACED HOUSE CLAIMS MAN’S LIFE DESPITE VALIANT RESCUE ATTEMPTS
A MAN has died after being rescued from a burning house in the early hours of the morning.
The alarm was raised just before 3am yesterday and firefighters were able to get the man out of the terraced house on Gamlyn Terrace in Hirwaun.
Firefighters performed CPR on the man and he was taken to the Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil in a critical condition.
But police later confirmed the man had died in hospital from his injuries.
Ten properties in the streets were evacuated as a precaution and the residents were looked after by the British Red Cross and neighbours.
The British Red Cross said five properties were “uninhabitable”.
Jason Evans from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze started on the first floor of the house before spreading to the roof and four neighbouring properties.
Around 25 firefighters tackled the fire and neighbours used water to try to put out the flames.
Sarah Lewis, 32, who lives opposite the house where the fire started, described how neighbours tried to douse the flames with water and knocked on doors to get people out of their homes.
She said: “The dog was barking so I got up. I could see an orange light and all I could see was flames from across the road.
“I called the fire brigade and they said they were already on their way. I then went outside to the street.
“The emergency services were outstanding. They couldn’t get through the front so they had to go through the window, but they got him out in seconds.”
Another neighbour, Kieran Couzens, 20, said: “I was sleeping. My partner woke me up, she slapped me shouting ‘fire’ so I jumped out of bed.
“All I could hear was bang, bang, bang, bang – the windows were smashing. It was really scary. That must have been at about 3am.
“My partner’s auntie lives on the street and she said she’s never seen anything like this happen in about 21 years.
“I think that side of the row has been affected by the smoke damage coming through the attics.”
Kai Shikari, 32, also lives in the street. He said: “My mother woke me up - it must have been at about 3.30am. There was fire – you could smell it in the air.”
Vernon Cornish, from the British Red Cross, said: “The residents of all 10 properties on the terrace have now been identified.
“Sadly, one man has died and our sympathies go out to his family, friends and neighbours.
“All the other residents are safe and well and have secured short-term accommodation, mostly with family and friends in the local area.
“We have the contact details for all of the affected residents and will be contacting them to see if they require any ongoing support.
“This might simply be advice about insurance or issues around tenancy but we can assess any vulnerabilities among residents and offer additional independent living support to people where required.”
Hirwaun Road was closed for a time but had reopened by around 8am yesterday.
An investigation is now under way into the cause of the fire.