Woman rescued from blaze (From Oxford Mail)

Woman rescued from blaze

9:00am Thursday 16th February 2012 in News By Damian Fantato

A QUICK-THINKING neighbour helped rescue a woman after she fell unconscious in a burning building.

Hussain Manzoor was returning home in the early hours of the morning when he heard the smoke alarm in the house in Northway, Oxford.

He then realised the house was filled with smoke and – realising his neighbour might be in danger – banged on the window before calling the fire service.

When firefighters arrived to the house in Stainfield Road a few minutes later, at about 3.30am yesterday, they forced their way into the house before dragging the unconscious victim to safety.

The woman, who is in her 30s, was found lying in the ground-floor sitting room. After firefighters dragged her out they went back to extinguish the blaze.

Mr Manzoor, a retired teacher who lives in Stainfield Road with his wife and four children, had been returning from a party at a friend’s house when he raised the alarm.

The 52-year-old said: “I went up to the window and started banging on it but nothing happened, so I rang the fire brigade.

“It is very lucky that they came so quickly because otherwise it could have been a disaster.

“I am glad I was there to call the fire service.”

His wife Zahida, who was at home at the time, said she could feel the heat of the fire through the wall of her house.

Their son, 16-year-old Zarbab, said his mother was panicking. He said although the fire was contained to within the house, there was smoke billowing out of the windows.

Another Stainfield Road resident, who asked not to be named, said: “I was woken up by the fire engines at around 4pm.

“But I didn’t see any flames but there was smoke.”

Police said the woman, who regained consciousness after being taken out of the house, lived at the property.

She was left in the care of the ambulance service who took her to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital.

Her condition last night was not known.

Station manager Gary D’Anger was one of the firemen at the scene.

He said: “Mr Manzoor stopped this woman from dying at the scene because this fire could potentially have killed the woman and gutted the house.

“This was an example where a smoke alarm sounding prevented what could well have been a fatal incident.

“It was a relatively small fire on the sofa and contained to the house.”

Mr D’Anger said the most likely cause of the fire was a discarded cigarette.

A police spokesman confirmed the blaze was not being treated as suspicious.