House fire in Orwell Road

A WOMAN and her pets were saved from a house fire in Ipswich yesterday after a quick-thinking neighbour came to their rescue.

Fire Crews attended a house fire on Orwell Road in Ipswich at around 9am this morning, 24th October.

The 59-year-old woman was rescued from her home in Orwell Road, Ipswich, with several animals after the fire started at 9am.

Fire crews arrived and quickly removed dogs, cats, reptiles and birds from the property.

One of the cats had to be resuscitated by a firefighter and given oxygen.

Jordan Abigail, 46, who rescued the woman, said: “I woke up and looked and smelt something. I came downstairs quite quickly. I had my window open and heard the alarm next door and I thought there was smoke. I came out and I knocked on the door.

“She came out and I could hear dogs barking and the smoke was quite thick.

“It was hard to breathe and I heard a bang and an explosion. There was thick acrid smoke.

“Smoke was coming out of the kitchen window and I ran back into my house and made the call to the fire service,” she added.

“I was concerned about the animals but I said to her ‘do not go back’.”

Ambulance staff said the woman escaped without injury.

Police sergeant Phil Barrett was one of the first people on the scene: “It was well alight – smoke and flames were coming from the side and the rear of the building. Smoke was coming from all the windows.

“There was a lot of animals inside and the fire service rescued them.”

Police said the blaze had caused “extensive damage” throughout the home. Fire appliances from Ipswich East, Princes Street, Holbrook, Woodbridge and Felixstowe all attended. A command support unit from Woodbridge was also called for.

Ian Mallet, senior commander of Ipswich East, said: “Three cats and three dogs were rescued. We established where the fire was and extinguished it from there.”

Neighbour Mark Steward, 49 said: “All I heard was a commotion outside and saw a lot of smoke. I was just about to go to work, the fire service have done an amazing job.”

An investigation into the cause of the fire will now take place but it is not being treated as suspicious.