Date: 7th November, 2016
A fire investigation is being carried out this morning into a severe fire in Swindon last night (6 November).
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service was called to a terraced house in Manchester Road at 11.54pm and found the property well alight.
Six fire crews attended – from Stratton (two), Swindon, Westlea, Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade – and tackled the blaze using two hose reel jets. An incident command vehicle from Stratton was also mobilised.
Three people were out of the property when crews arrived, and a further three were rescued by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus.
All six were treated at the scene by South Western Ambulance Service and a BASICS doctor, supported by firefighters, and were taken to hospitals in Bristol and Swindon. Five of the casualties are said to be in a life-threatening condition.
Swindon Borough Council opened a local community centre during the night to provide shelter for neighbours displaced by the firefighting operation, and the British Red Cross emergency response volunteers based at Swindon fire station attended at the scene to offer support.
Group Manager Dave Jacomb, who attended at the scene, said: “This was a traumatic incident for all concerned, and I cannot praise enough the professionalism of both the attending firefighters and colleagues in Fire Control. We will be working with Wiltshire Police to try and establish what happened – in the meantime, crews will be back on Manchester Road over the course of the day to reassure the community and do follow-up home fire safety checks.”