Schoolboy saves birds during Great Bridge coach blaze

Cobain Durnall, aged 12, rushed out to spray the burning summer house and fence to stop the fire spreading to the birds in the garden aviary. Minutes later firefighters arrived at the scene in Bagnall Street, Tipton, and took over from the ACE Academy pupil before spending two hours tackling the flames.

The fire broke out during a 24-hour strike by firefighters but crews from Dudley, Tipton and Brierley Hill still attended.

The blaze is believed to have been started by an electrical fault in one of the coaches parked at Robbins Business Park and sent flames leaping into the adjoining garden, where 45 canaries and six diamond doves, including 15 chicks were kept.

All of the birds were saved and Cobain has been hailed a hero by his father for jumping into action when he smelled smoke.

Police are not treating the fire, which broke out at 4pm yesterday, as suspicious. Lee Page, spokesman for West Midlands Police, said: "Officers attended the scene and found nothing to suggest arson was involved." Fire crews from attended the blaze. West Midlands Fire Service had operated with a skeleton staff due to a 24-hour strike which started at 9am yesterday and ended at 9am today.

As a result of the dispute there were just 26 fire engines deployed in the whole of the West Midlands.

Among the other call-outs they attended was a telegraph pole fire in Stourbridge.

Cobain leapt into action when he came home from school to find the flames from three burning coaches were threatening to spread into his back garden.

Home alone, the 12-year-old rushed out with a garden hose and sprayed the burning summer house and garden fence to stop the fire spreading to the birds in the garden aviary.

Five minutes later emergency services turned up and took over from the pupil, who has ambitions to be a policeman.

Despite the damage to the coaches and the summer house, the 45 canaries and six diamond doves, including 15 chicks, in the aviary were all saved.

Cobain's father Martin, a 52-year-old spring maker, cycled home from work in Digbeth Birmingham, when his wife Leanne, aged 39, alerted him after arriving home to find her son with the firefighters yesterday afternoon.

He said: "My son's a hero. He was quick-thinking enough to get the hose and stop the fire spreading to the birds inside the aviary, which has a plastic roof.

"If it wasn't for him, many of them might not have been alive. He also sprayed water on the summer house.

"He's made me very proud. I wonder if he will change his career ambitions now."

Cobain said: "I was inside when I smelt something, I thought 'what is it?' and couldn't believe it when I saw the fire.

"It was spreading onto the summer house so I ran out with the hose to do my best.

"I'm glad it stopped it spreading to the birds."

Cobain has one brother called Jake, 16, and two sisters, Pariss, 23, and Tyler, 21.

The summer house, which was shipped over from Sweden at a cost of £3,600 10 years ago, was damaged in the fire.

Mr Durnall said: "Obviously we're disappointed, but it could have been a lot worse."