Chapter 7
Ben held on tight as the engine hurtled down the main road, lights flashing and siren blaring.
Dale, Brian and Taz were seated around him, all quiet as they prepared for what the call would bring.
Vick was driving and Ali was navigating, although nowadays the satnav showed the best route, changing in real time depending on road conditions and traffic build-ups.
Having carried out their engine and equipment checks and been debriefed, they had just settled into an hour of drills before the call had come in at half nine. Not entirely unexpectedly as Saturday nights were often busy.
Ben had been in the middle of a fifty-yard dash up a ladder, a coiled hose over his shoulder, when the alarm had sounded and Aisha, from Fire Control, had announced reports of a fire in a block of council-owned flats just over a mile away.
Several residents had called to report smoke coming from the main stairwell.
Pulling on their beige fireproof trousers and jackets, Ben and the rest of his crew had climbed on board Engine A.
Vick had started the motor and the engine had roared into life.
She’d edged out through the huge doors onto the forecourt and then, checking that no one had illegally parked on the road outside – which happened surprisingly often – she’d pulled out onto the busy road.
Cars had edged out of their way as they’d seen the engine coming, and Vick, focused only on the road in front of her, had pushed through the parting vehicles as fast as she safely could.
They were now five minutes out, but, having left the main road for residential streets, were slowed by the speed bumps that caused the crew to bounce in their seats, despite the engine’s superior rear suspension.
Ali, in touch with Aisha, was receiving more information and updating the crew: there’d been more 999 calls, reporting smoke, but no flames, and one call had mentioned that a group of teenagers had been seen fleeing the area.
Housing officers from the council were on site and the building was being evacuated.
Fortunately, it was only four stories and, as it was a 1930s build, cladding was not an issue – news that caused the whole crew to breathe a little easier.
‘The smoke is still dense so you’ll need breathing apparatus and vision will be poor,’ finished Ali.
In the time she had delivered the latest status report, they’d arrived on the scene.
Ben could see residents in pyjamas and dressing gowns huddled at the designated fire assembly area.
Babies, rudely awoken as parents snatched them from their cots, were crying, unhappy and feeling the cold, while a couple of older people were being helped slowly to the assembly point so that fire wardens could account for everyone.
A woman, who introduced herself as the block’s housing manager, approached them as they opened up the doors and started to prepare to tackle the incident.
‘We think we’ve got everyone out. The fire wardens have banged on every door, cleared each floor and checked all corridors. We used the back stairwell to exit and no one has been back in.’
The woman, in her mid-forties with greying hair and a hi-vis jacket pulled on inside out over her cardigan, looked visibly relieved to be able to hand over the scene to the professionals.
Ben thanked her as she returned to help move residents to a nearby church hall, and carried on kitting up, pulling the protective helmet on last.
Suitably attired, he, Brian and Taz headed for the front stairwell. Vick and Ali stayed with the engine, along with Dale to assist with the hose.
The design of the building had created a wind tunnel, which was fanning any flames, and thick black smoke belched out of the third-floor window above them.
The main stairwell fire door was propped open – with a fire extinguisher, Ben noticed with irony.
Just great.
Fitted with a buzzer and entry system, the self-closing door was meant to remain shut at all times. But someone had obviously decided to leave it ajar, all the easier for the Deliveroo driver to reach them without them having to leave the comfort of their own sofa.
Ben turned to check the others were ready.
‘Smells like rubber,’ said Brian.
‘Yeah, burning tyres,’ added Taz.
‘Ali said some teenagers had been spotted running away. Could be a bin fire?’ Ben suggested.
‘Yes, could be. Let’s go.’
Breathing apparatus on, the three men cautiously entered the building to carry out an initial assessment.
The smoke, thick and black, meant they could see only a few centimetres in front of them. Guardedly, Ben edged forward into the space at the bottom of the stairs.
Fortunately, the crew were familiar with the layout of the building.
They regularly visited homes in the local area, advising residents about fire safety, ensuring fire systems were up to date and working, and making sure that residents knew what to do in case of an emergency.
Ben had visited just a few months ago, so he knew that the main entranceway to the block of flats had a room the size of a large cupboard that housed the fuse boxes for the electrics, and that it was used as a storage area for the cleaning crew.
This was usually kept locked, but as Ben moved nearer to the door he could see through the thickening smoke that the door was cracked open.
‘Hold on, guys, I think I’ve found the source of the fire. Possibly electrical.’
Brian relayed the information to the rest of the team at the engine – if it was the electrics, they’d need the CO2 extinguishers.
‘We’ve got twenty more minutes left,’ said Taz, noting the amount of oxygen remaining in the tanks.
‘Hold on, it’s not the electrics. There’s a pile of something burning on the floor, looks like oily rags – I can see some syringes too, so be careful,’ Ben warned the others.
Blasting the pile of cloth with the extinguisher Brian passed to him, Ben put out the fire as Taz and Brian secured the area.
It was then that Ben heard a sound coming from inside the smoke-filled cupboard. He shuffled past the now-smouldering rags, trying to make out what the noise was. Crouched in the corner he spotted a boy, a scarf pulled up around his face, frightened eyes looking back at him.
‘There’s someone in here!’ Ben radioed to the crew. ‘Get an ambulance. Conscious, but smoke inhalation and possible burns.’
Reaching out, Ben pulled the teenager to his feet, taking his weight as he stumbled. The boy coughed as he fought for breath.
‘Coming out now,’ Ben said, lifting the boy over his shoulder and exiting the small space.
Brian and Taz were waiting to help, and they all emerged from the building to the sound of the siren signalling the arrival of the paramedics.
With the young boy taken to be cared for and the fire safely extinguished, Red Watch were stood down. Back at the engine, Ben, Brian and Taz removed their breathing apparatus and the whole crew readied the engine for a return to the station.
‘Well done, everyone, and good work, Ben,’ called Vick, climbing up into the cab and settling behind the wheel.
‘Buckle up, and we’re good to go.’
The engine pulled away slowly, past a small cluster of people still waiting to be told where they would be sleeping that night.
‘Go faster, Jay,’ shouted Ali. ‘Can’t wait to get back to all that paperwork.’
Ben laughed. It was going to be a long night for them all, and he was anxious to know how the boy he’d saved was doing, but most of all he was relieved no one else had been harmed.