A beloved dog helped save its owners’ lives after waking them up when a fire started meaning eight people had to be rescued.
The intelligent canine, nicknamed Smokey by firefighters, alerted it’s owner in their ground floor flat in Stanlake Road, Shepherd’s Bush , and helped save a woman and two men’s lives as a smoke alarm fitted in their property had no battery in it so did not sound, it emerged today.
The fire started in their flat just before 4am yesterday (November 17) and four women had to be rescued by London Fire Brigade from a first floor window and another woman was rescued from the second floor flat’s roof.
After calling 999, the ground floor flat trio were given vital fire survival guidance over the phone as they were trapped in their flat by the fire so emergency call handlers stayed on the phone until firefighters in breathing apparatus arrived to rescue them and their heroic dog.
Read the story of how 'Smokey' saved its owners.
Watch manager John Bishop who was the first fire officer at the scene, said: “On arrival there was a lot of smoke pouring out from the property and as control officers had informed me people were still inside the building I quickly committed a rescue team in breathing apparatus and requested further fire engines to help with the rescuing of several people on the upper floors and roof who were calling for help.”
Fire crews from Kensington, Hammersmith and North Kensington fire stations managed to have the fire under control at 4.46am and part of the four-roomed ground floor flat was damaged by the fire.
Station Manager Nic Myatt said: “The firefighters hard work and quick thinking saved the lives of those they rescued.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
