CCTV shows last moments of woman who dies in a fire
Harrowing CCTV footage of a woman’s last moments before she died after a flat fire have been revealed as part of a campaign.
The clip shows the woman, who will not be identified at the request of the family, opening her flat door to be confronted by thick smoke.
She walks into her home – the last steps she ever took.
WATCH the footage
A short time later, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue firefighters arrive at the scene, by this point the camera is almost obscured by the thick dark smoke which has spread into the hallway from within the flat.
But their figures can just be made out as they come out of the flat carrying the woman, who sadly did not survive.
The service hopes the distressing footage will help emphasise how dangerous it is to investigate or attempt to tackle a fire yourself.
Its Get Out Stay Out campaign highlights the importance of leaving the property as soon as possible and waiting for the fire crews to arrive.
The initiative aims to prevent people from attempting to gather belongings or re-entering a building during a blaze, most items of property can be replaced but your life cannot.
It takes roughly two to three breaths in a smoke filled room to be overcome by deadly fumes, which leads to carbon monoxide poisoning and can cause death.
Glynn Luznyj, director of Prevent and Protect, said: “We’re very thankful that the family have agreed to release this disturbing footage showing their loved one’s last living moments. We hope that this will make people think twice before they investigate a fire or go back inside for any belongings as we don’t want this happening to anyone else.
“That is the aim of our Get Out Stay Out campaign as while the majority of people do the right thing by getting out and staying out, we do unfortunately see some people re-entering burning buildings and they have suffered serious injuries or death as a result. It is really important to call us straight away and stay outside during a fire.
“It takes only a very small amount of smoke to affect you and it is therefore extremely important that you don’t try to tackle a fire yourself, or attempt to rescue any belongings or pets. When you call the fire service you can tell us what is in the property and we can make every effort to safely save it.”
For more information on the Get Out Stay Out campaign visit www.staffordshirefire.gov.uk/your-safety/campaigns/get-out-stay-out/
For free home safety advice call the Community Advice Team on 0800 0241 999.
