Heroic Portsmouth dad and fire crews rush to save woman, 101, from house inferno

The lone pensioner was trapped in her home in Torrington Road, North End, when the inferno engulfed the ground floor of the property at 9.19am on Monday.

The drama spurred 44-year-old Daniel Wakelin into action. He began furiously kicking and punching his way through the front door to try and drag the elderly woman free.

But the blaze proved too intense and as the dad-of-one managed to open the door, he was forced to retreat from the intense heat and acrid black smoke billowing from the house.

Mr Wakelin, a contracts manager for a building and maintenance firm, said: ‘I’d let the dog out and I could see a load of smoke coming from next door.

‘As I ran out there I could hear the kitchen window starting to crack and all this smoke was coming from the house.

‘I knew how old the woman inside was and that she was all by herself and thought she wouldn’t be able to get out.

‘So I kicked the door in. As i did that, all the glass fell from the door and I put my hand in and opened the door. Then the kitchen window at the side of the house exploded and all the flames started coming out of it.

‘All the flames were starting to go up the stairs and all the smoke was just so thick. I knew I couldn’t get in there. So I dialled 999.’

Within minutes, two fire crews from Cosham and a third from Southsea were on the scene. supported by a fourth team from Portchester.

Officers from Cosham, wearing breathing apparatus, smashed into the blackened building and managed to pull the 101-year-old alive from a downstairs room.

She was transported to Queen Alexandra Hospital suffering from ‘minor smoke inhalation’, South Central Ambulance Service confirmed, and was yesterday recovering in hospital.

Crew manager Simon Bone, of Red Watch in Cosham, was among the first on the scene and said she was lucky to have escaped.

‘The fire was quite well developed when we turned up,’ he said. ‘There were flames coming from a downstairs window and we had been told there was possibly someone in the property, so things were quite stressful and busy.

‘She was very lucky to get out. Due to the amount of fire damage and smoke that was in the property, this could have potentially been a lot worse. So yes, she was definitely very lucky.’

Mr Wakelin added: ‘When I saw firefighters carrying her out she was lifeless and covered in black soot.

‘But apparently she is back up and walking now. I’m so happy she’s okay. She’s 101 years old, you don’t want to go by dying in a fire.’

The road was closed for more than two hours as fire crews battled to stop the blaze from spreading to the property next door.

Neighbour Kevin Mayes was cleaning his white Land Rover when the drama erupted.

He said: ‘I heard a bit of commotion up the road and when I looked around I could see my neighbour running and kicking in the door.

‘I then saw a great deal of smoke as he pushed the door open. He was forced back.

‘The smoke was very thick. You couldn’t breathe in it. Honest to God, it was terrible.’

Another neighbour, who lives in the house next door, was left shaken by the drama and praised the quick-thinking heroics of Mr Wakelin.

The 47-year-old health worker said: ‘There was somebody there for her. It makes me feel reassured.’

Mr Wakelin, who is expecting his second child in June, added: ‘I wasn’t really concerned about my own safety, in my eyes I wasn’t really in danger.

‘I didn’t really do a lot, I just spotted it and tried to do what I could.’

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Hampshire police confirmed the blaze is ‘not being treated as suspicious’.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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