Local hero’s quick thinking saves bungalow from devastating fire

Local lad Johnny’s day turned into a life-saving mission when his quick thinking saved a vulnerable residents home from burning down. On Wednesday (5 Feb) fate intervened when the team, Johnny, Tatenda and George who work for Serco collecting bins on behalf of Mid Sussex Council, took a different route to usual.

This last-minute change of plan meant they arrived to collect the bins in Franklands Close later than usual. When they arrived at the property Johnny heard a ladies voice crying for help. He replied calling out “is everything ok?” The lady responded with a desperate cry of “help it’s all burning, it’s all burning.”

Initially Johnny thought she was just burning her breakfast but when he entered the bungalow, he could see that a fire had started in the living room and the flames were beginning to spread. Rushing outside to the refuse vehicle, he grabbed the fire extinguisher and instructed George, the driver, to call the fire brigade, before rushing back to the bungalow. By now thick black smoke was visible and before tacking the fire Johnny had to stop the resident from trying to get back into her home. Once she was safe, he put his tee-shirt over his face, so he didn’t breathe in the smoke, started tackling the fire and then opened the patio door to ventilate the bungalow.

When the fire service arrived, thankfully the flames were out, they assessed the situation and confirmed that an electric blanket had cause the fire. The ambulance also arrived and checked over the resident who has confirmed she was ok. The crew were able to check on her wellbeing in person when the grateful resident popped out to thank the crew when they made their collection, this time at the usual time on Wednesday 12 February.

Reflecting on the incident, Johnny said, "It’s just instinct to save the lady’s home. Imagine if that was your mum or your nan? No one came out to help her, and that was something we couldn’t believe."

Adding: “I had to help her before she lost everything, If I hadn’t been there, and she kept going back into the bungalow, it could’ve gotten much worse. In that moment, I just had in my head that I needed to save her bungalow."

A spokesperson from West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service said, "Johnny's actions are highly commendable and potentially saved this resident's home and even her life. There are many ways to prevent a fire in your home, particularly when using heating appliances. We would urge all electric blanket users to dispose of the item if it's over 10 years old, and to replace the blanket if the fabric is worn or frayed. It is also important to install smoke alarms on every level of your home as they will alert you to a fire at the earliest opportunity, giving you time to safely escape and call 999."