Garbage Collector's Quick Thinking Saves Occupants From Burning Home
By Mike-Ross
Today's uplifting story hails from the West Midlands in Birmingham, England.
In an unexpected twist this morning, a garbage collector's swift thinking and heroic deeds rescued a man, a woman, and their pet dog from a blazing fire that consumed a maisonette in Birmingham.
Steve Whitehouse (right) | Credit: West Midlands Fire Service
Around 8 am, multiple 999 calls alerted authorities to the fire. Fire crews from Tipton, Dudley, Bilston, and Wednesbury stations rushed to the scene. To their relief, upon arrival, they discovered that Steve Whitehouse, a 49-year-old Refuse Operative employed by Serco, had already saved the occupants.
Steve, accompanied by driver Kevin Marriott, was on his trade waste round when they noticed the fire. Acting swiftly, Steve sprang into action, scaling a first-floor balcony three times to ensure the safety of the trapped trio.
"I saw a young woman screaming from the balcony, and all I could think was that I needed to get to her as quickly as possible," Steve told West Midlands Fire Service. He successfully pulled the woman to safety and then went back up to rescue a distressed young man and his dog.
"The smoke was getting thicker. I managed to bundle up the dog in a blanket, jumped back down to the ground, and got the owner to throw the dog to me. I then went back up to help him," Steve recounted.
West Midlands Fire Service
Once the rescue mission was complete, Steve turned his attention to alerting neighbors to the danger, while Kevin assisted those who had evacuated their homes. Remarkably, after taking a moment to recover over coffee, the duo resumed their daily rounds.
Tipton Watch Commander Chris Green, the incident commander, praised Steve's incredible bravery, stating, "It was heroic. One rescue would have been remarkable. To save the lives of two people and a dog is staggering. We will be putting him forward for official recognition."
The fire is believed to have started when an e-bike battery exploded while on charge at the bottom of the stairs, cutting off the occupants' escape route.
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