Pride in fire-fighting cadets
Two courageous cadets who averted a potential disaster when they put out a town centre fire have been praised for their actions.
Jadon Friel, 17, and Jack Kerner, 16, were on their way to KFC after a training session when they came across the blaze in Week Street.
It happened at around 6pm on March 31 when a cigarette was flicked into cardboard boxes outside The Works and Trespass.
Still in their cadet uniforms, the pair sprang into action and tackled the blaze with their steel toe boots, as they moved dry cardboard boxes away from the burning ones.
Afterwards the boys managed to compose themselves to call the Kent Fire and Rescue Service.
Jack’s mother, Kate, said: “When Jack said I’m going to be a bit late mum because I’ve been putting out a fire in town, I was like ‘what?’.
“I am so proud, especially as others were walking by. We remember The Works fire and just how devastating that was.”
Both pupils from Maidstone Grammar School in Barton Road are members of its Ministry of Defence sponsored Combined Cadet Force (CCF).
Jack, a Year 11 pupil and CCF corporal said: “As we were walking we just saw a fire in the middle of the street.
“We thought it was quite controlled until we noticed the other boxes near the building had also caught fire.
“So we moved in and managed to get the boxes out of the way.”
Jadon, a Year 12 pupil and CCF sergeant said: “Someone had pulled that first box away basically but just a bit.
“But the wind was pushing it back closer so we went and moved it sort of more in the middle of the road. I noticed that a second box caught fire closer, closer to the shop.”
The pair averted what could have been a disaster. An inferno that gutted The Works in 2015 started in similar circumstances, when cardboard boxes outside caught alight.
Jadon’s father, Julian, added: “I am very proud of Jadon.”