Pensioner's thanks after fire drama

A PENSIONER has today told of his immense gratitude to Suffolk's fire service after he woke to find his bungalow full of smoke.

Ronald Cullum woke at about 2am yesterday to find smoke billowing through his Cornwall Road bungalow in Felixstowe.

After an anxious tour of the house to find out the cause of the smoke, the 76-year-old looked outside and realised it was coming from an electrical box.

He called fire crews who arrived quickly to the home which he shares with his wife, Vera, 87.

Mr Cullum said: “Smoke was everywhere, it was very misty. I was worried and looked in all the rooms to find the fire then looked outside.

“It was coming from the electrical cupboard outside; there was a lot of smoke coming from it but no flames.

“The firefighters were absolutely marvellous, and the electrical people too. They came quickly and sorted everything out for us.”

The cause of the fire is not yet known, but Mr Cullum said he thought it was simply wear and tear of the electrical box where the couple have lived for 12 years.

SERIES OF FIRES ACROSS COUNTY

As well as dealing with the Cullum's blaze crews were called to a series of fires across the county, including:

A paper bank fire in Saxmundham at 3.45pm on Saturday.

At about 4.15pm there was a call to Wade's Lane in Shotley where a pile of logs inside a woodburner in a semi-detached cottage had caught alight and spread to a wooden beam. Firefighters spent nearly an hour bringing the flames under control.

At just before 6pm three fire crews were called to a fish and chip shop in Commercial Road, Lowestoft.

At about 9.15pm crews were called to a road traffic accident in Clare Road, Long Melford, where four people were thought to be trapped in two cars. One person was taken to the West Suffolk Hospital.

An hour later crews were called to a chimney fire in Bildeston Road, Offton.

At just before 10am yesterday three crews were called to a blaze in a single-storey extension of a house in Raedwald Drive, Bury St Edmunds.