Suffolk gas engineers recognised for bravery after rescuing teen from house fire
They rescued a 17-year-old boy from a house fire in Felixstowe
Three gas engineers have been recognised after saving a teenager from a house fire in Suffolk.
Stephen Hobbs, along with his son Joseph and colleague Jack Lord, who are all Cadent gas engineers, have been commended following the incident in Felixstowe last December.
A 17-year-old boy was rescued from the property.
In recognition, Suffolk’s Chief Fire Officer Jon Lacey has invited all three to the Service’s annual awards ceremony in October, where they will be formally presented with a commendation for their bravery.
Recalling the incident, Glen Saunders, said:
“A total of four fire engines were mobilised, but by the time we arrived, Stephen, Joseph and Jack had already extinguished the flames - preventing the fire from spreading throughout the rest of the house.
“While we strongly advise against members of the public tackling fires themselves, had they not acted as they did that day, we could very well have been attending a loss of life incident.”
Stephen Hobbs described the moment they intervened:
“The three of us were working as a repair team across the road from a house on Grange Farm Road when I noticed large amounts of black smoke coming from an open upstairs window.
“I ran to the house while Jack ran to our van to get our onboard fire extinguisher. I banged hard repeatedly on the front door in case anyone was home.
“Thankfully, it woke the only occupant who had been asleep in the room that had caught alight. He let me in, and while Joseph helped him get away from the house, Jack and I were able to put out the fire.”
It was later determined that the fire, which caused extensive damage to the bedroom, had been caused by a hair dryer left switched on, which subsequently overheated.
Chief Fire Officer, Jon Lacey, said:
“I look forward to welcoming Stephen, Joseph, and Jack to our awards ceremony later this year, where we can formally thank them for what they did. They showed outstanding bravery, quick thinking and teamwork, and their actions undoubtedly saved a life and prevented considerable damage to the property."