Neighbours suffer smoke inhalation after fighting Lymington house fire with garden hose
Firefighters urge residents to avoid tackling blazes themselves
Two people had to be treated for breathing in smoke after trying to put out a house fire in Lymington with a garden hose.
On-call firefighters from Lymington, Beaulieu, and New Milton responded to the fire at Spartina Drive in Lymington yesterday morning.
The emergency call reported a large plume of smoke and flames emerging from the property.
Firefighters arrived to find the fire alarm sounding and quickly brought the fire in the kitchen of the terraced house under control using hose reel jets, aided by their breathing apparatus.
Prior to their arrival, two neighbours attempted to tackle the blaze with a garden hose after the occupant evacuated the property safely.
But their efforts led to both individuals suffering from smoke inhalation that required medical attention.
Station Manager Simon Packer cautioned residents against intervening in such situations.
He said, “We understand that people’s first instinct is often to try and help in an emergency, particularly when it involves a neighbour or nearby property. However, fires can develop rapidly and produce large amounts of toxic smoke in a very short space of time.”
Manager Packer emphasised the risks, pointing out, "Firefighters are trained to deal with these situations and are equipped with specialist protective clothing and breathing apparatus.”
He advised, “Our advice is clear: if you discover a fire, get out, stay out, and call the fire service immediately.”