Several puppies have been saved by firefighters who battled a huge fire that broke out at a shop and flats in Great Yarmouth. The Norfolk Fire Service had to send nine crews swamped by the flames that were caused by the fire that broke out around 05:00 BST in Northgate Street. As at the time of the incidences, firefighters managed to assist several people down the stairs to safety, but had to rescue one person from a top floor window with a ladder. The roof of the building, unfortunately, fell later in the day, and while there is still no report of any persons injured, the building is still being accessed to evaluate the full extent of the damages caused.
The fire service made known on Facebook that its crew members are currently working tirelessly to contain the outbreak; hence, it is asking for members of the public to avoid the area and keep doors and windows shut. Fire station manager Chris Harding-Hook informed that one of the flats had puppies, and his team rescued the animals, and that the appliances used for rescuing are built with special oxygen masks to ensure the puppies’ lungs remain clean. The ambulance services helped firefighters by administering first aid to the animals.
Mr. Harding-Hook also stated that people living in flats on either side of the building that caught fire were evacuated and kept safe at a nearby pub that opened early to provide hot drinks. Twenty-year-old Brandon McHugh, who lived in one of the flats above the shop, told reporters that he was woken early in the morning by the postman shouting and screaming through his bedroom window that there was a fire outbreak. Consequently, he managed to get himself and two of his dogs out of the building, but the other puppies were stuck in another room. However, it was reported that the fire service rescued all his dogs and are all ok now – much to his relief.
The Reverend Canon Simon Ward, the rector of Great Yarmouth, expressed his concern, saying: “There was a gentleman at the top of the building, and the fire brigade rescued him down a ladder and then other appliances and police arrived. They had to work hard to bring it under control but are doing a fantastic job – and the community are all looking out for each other as well. You can really see the tremendous impact of the fire; it’s quite devastating, with several of the locals reflecting how these buildings have stood here for hundreds of years – and it’s heartbreaking to see history going up in smoke.
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