Neighbours saved man from house fire in Hadleigh

Residents of Mornington Crescent, Hadleigh, sprang into action flames from a fireplace ignited a carpet inside the home.

Neighbours helped the man out from the kitchen at the rear of the property while the fire spread from the lounge.

The man was taken to hospital as a precaution while his cat died in the fire.

The semi-detached house has been destroyed, with the neighbouring house also suffering damage.

Sandra King, 66, said: “I was putting the bin out at about 6.50am. I saw him putting his own bin out, I went back in to make a cup of tea.

“I came back out and saw a lot of smoke. The young boy came out from next door. We heard someone going in that door.

“They managed to get the old man out.”

The remains in Hadleigh

At least four fire engines attended and a crane was deployed to extinguish the fire on Saturday morning.

Mrs King added: “When it went, it certainly went. It was 15 minutes from putting the bins out to flames being everywhere. It was very quick.”

Another neighbour helped get the man out of his kitchen.

The woman, who did not wish to be named, said: “He was in the kitchen. We got him out and got him onto the pavement. The other neighbours were brilliant and got out a blanket and a cup of tea.

“The house was engulfed in flames and blacked up.

“It was just fate that the bin collection was a day late, otherwise I wouldn’t have been out here, I was putting my bin out, so we have the bin men to thank.”

The inside has been completely destroyed

The neighbour said that the man’s cat had also been brought out of the building by firefighters, but the pet had passed away.

The firefighters had the fire in the first house under control by 7.40am, while the fire at the neighbouring property was extinguished by 8.20am.

The neighbour added: “He was just in shock. He sat there watching his house go up when he had grown up there.”