Family's fears after double blaze

2:11pm Friday 2nd May 2008

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A MOTHER-of-three who raised the alarm after seeing her neighbour's house on fire said she has grave concerns for her family's welfare.

Glyn Dixon said after two fires at her neighbour's ground floor flat in the space of two days, she and her young family are living in fear of it happening again.

Miss Dixon, who lives in Little Englands in Chippenham with her twin daughters Tania and Tanzin, partner Paul Wood and their baby son Connor, said she is also worried for her elderly disabled neighbour.

Miss Dixon, 30, told the Chippenham News: "The first time it happened on Wednesday I smelt smoke, and when we went to have a look my neighbour was sitting by the window and the room was black with smoke.

"I called the fire brigade and they came and pulled him out.

"I had thought about going in there to try and rescue him myself first off, but then I thought better of it as it could have been very dangerous for both of us."

After the fire on Wednesday at around 5pm, her wheelchair-bound neighbour, who she knows as Joe Hughes, was taken to hospital.

However Miss Dixon said she was surprised to see him back again an hour later.

She said: "It was the day after at about 1pm when I heard the fire alarm in his flat going off again. I couldn't believe it.

"Once again his house had caught alight and the fire brigade were back. He was taken off to hospital and we haven't seen him since."

Miss Dixon, who has lived in the area for three years, said local firefighters had helped her and her family devise a drill, so if there was another fire and it spread to their house they would know what to do and get out safely.

She said: "I just don't know what is going to happen next. They say things happen in threes.

"I am worried for my baby son and my twin 13-year-old daughters.

"They were caught in a house fire when they were three years old so it is terrifying for them to think that it could happen again.

"I know that Joe's brother has been trying to get him to move into care as he doesn't think he can look after himself. We believe that he falls asleep in his wheelchair while smoking so that is a big fire risk."

For both fires, crews from Chippenham and Corsham used breathing apparatus to rescue the wheelchair-bound man who had suffered from smoke inhalation.

Wiltshire Fire and Rescue service are now liaising with a range of agencies including North Wiltshire District Council and Westlea Housing Association to ensure the man's safety.