AN INVESTIGATION is under way today after a teenage father had to be rescued by firefighters when he collapsed in a blazing basement.

AN INVESTIGATION is under way today after a teenage father had to be rescued by firefighters when he collapsed in a blazing basement.

Francis Grey, one of the tenants of the homeless family unit in London Road, off Handford Road, Ipswich, went down to the laundry room in the basement to investigate a burning smell at about 12.35am yesterday.

Mr Grey collapsed when he inhaled the fire's fumes and, as his young family stayed unaware upstairs, he was not found until the firefighters arrived.

Two crews from Princes Street and two from the Colchester Road fire station attended the property, which consists of eight flats, where they found the blaze in the basement.

Mr Grey, 19, was found collapsed on the floor, suffering from smoke inhalation, and had to be rescued by firefighters wearing breathing equipment. He was then taken to Ipswich Hospital in an ambulance.

His partner, Laila Sewell, 19, and their 15-month-old son Matty, were among the handful of people evacuated from the building.

She said: “It all happened really quickly. Francis smelt some burning and went down to have a look. He collapsed and was taken to hospital.

“He was only in hospital for a few hours and was back at work the next morning.

“The fire was out within minutes.”

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service's assistant divisional officer Ken Williamson said: “When the crews arrived, they found a basement with smoke logging and recovered one casualty from the area.

“Fire officers used breathing apparatus to go into the area and rescue the man.

“Other people were evacuated as a precautionary measure. It did not cause much damage and was contained to that one area.”

N Have firefighters saved your life? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk