After a fire broke out at a supported housing block in High Wycombe town centre on February 24 a man was treated for burns to his hands and for breathing in smoke after he was rescued by firefighters.
The bottom of Amersham Hill was closed for traffic at around 6.15pm with police and seven fire engines at the scene of the fire at the Old Tea Warehouse supported accommodation on Station Close.
After being alerted to the fire, the residents were rescued to the nearby street, where men were seen wrapped in foil blankets waiting in chilly temperatures as nearby businesses brought in pizzas and coffees for them.
The rescued burn victim detailed his ordeal: “I was choking, trying to scream and get out and finally the fire brigade dragged me out.
“I should be dead.”
The man was given immediate emergency care by the Bucks Fire and Rescue Service, before being handed to the care of South Central Ambulance Service and Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury.
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Today, he was treated at the burns unit in Wexham Park Hospital in Slough.
Bucks Fire and Rescue Service commented the fire, which was on the second floor of the three storey building: “The fire is believed to have started close to a sofa in a communal living area of the property.
“As yet, the cause of the fire has not been established.”
Initial reports from bystanders and some residents suggest the fire was caused by an oil pan.
Two residents have since said the don’t believe the fire was started by a pan.
The rescued man - who has only lived at the accommodation for a month- said: “It would be worse if it wasn’t for the fire brigade.
“They put my hands in buckets of water.
“If I was there for another minute longer it would have gone to the bone, the burns unit said.”
After hearing the alarm, the man went to the corridor but it was already smoky, making it difficult for him to see, he said.
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“I was trying to get out and put my hand on the wall, it was hot.
“Of course I was panicking.
“It’s f***ed me up if I’m honest.”
Currently he has to use strong painkillers, keep his arms up and he can only use one arm, meaning daily tasks like button up trousers are difficult.
Matty, resident on the first floor, detailed what he saw as he returned home during the incident: “It was chaos.
“There were around twenty of us stood outside on the street and no one knew where we were going or what was happening.”
A spokesperson for the social housing provider Riverside, the owner of the Old Tea Warehouse, confirmed a fire had broken out and said: “The Old Tea Warehouse provides temporary accommodation for men and women affected by homelessness and is staffed 24 hours a day.
“Our staff were on hand to ensure the safe evacuation of residents to alternative accommodation, and we are continuing to support them after this distressing event.
“We would like to thank the emergency services for their quick response and are continuing to work with the Police and fire service as they investigate the incident.”
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