Neighbour saves family from flat fire using ladder
Julie Smith/BBCA man has rescued a family from their first-floor flat after it went up in flames in a suspected arson attack.
The fire broke out at the entrance to two properties at about 01:10 BST on Monday in Battle Hill, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) said.
Neighbour Dean Ray said he saw the blaze from his window and managed to rescue two adults, a child and a dog from the upstairs flat using a ladder from his garden before firefighters arrived at the scene.
Ray said he had "adrenaline pumping through my veins, basically because I realised I've saved three lives".
TWFRS said a woman, child and dog had also managed to get out of the ground-floor flat and were unharmed.
Northumbria Police said the fire was being treated as suspected arson.
Julie Smith/BBCRay said when he ran to the front of the house "the flames were above the roof" and "everything had been melted to the floor".
When he realised the family were unable to jump from the window, he rushed over the garden fence to get his ladder.
"They lowered the bairn down to me first, got the dog out and then got the two adults out after that," he said.
He said he had been "really shocked" by the fire but said it "could have been a lot worse".
