Basingstoke man rescued in fire drama (From Basingstoke Gazette)

25-year-old slept as his house burned

12:53pm Saturday 22nd September 2012 in Local

A BASINGSTOKE man was led to safety by Hampshire firefighters after carelessly discarded smoking materials set his lounge alight while he slept.

Crews were called to Silvester Close, Oakridge, at 3.44 this morning and discovered a fire involving the sofa in the ground floor living room.

The crews were able to wake the 25-year-old man, who was asleep upstairs, and escort him to safety and the fire was quickly extinguished.

The man was taken to Basingstoke hospital by South Central Ambulance Service suffering from smoke inhalation.

Station Manager Graham Howlett, who led the investigation into the cause of the fire, said: "The cause appears to have been the careless disposal of smoking materials and this man was incredibly lucky to escape from his house unharmed.

"There was no smoke alarm in the house so there was nothing to alert the man to the fire in his lounge. Luckily the lounge door was shut so the fire was confined to that room.

"A working smoke alarm should be fitted to every level of your property and the battery should be tested weekly.

"Smoking and smoking materials are the second biggest cause of fires in the home. Smokers should always check materials are properly extinguished when finished and avoid lighting up if they are feeling sleepy."

Crews from Basingstoke and Tadley used two sets of breathing apparatus and one hose reel to extinguish the fire, which was out by 04.58.