Firefighters leave picket line in bid to save woman

A pensioner in mid-Wales becomes the first person to die during the strike while resources are stretched across the country

Firefighters broke off from their strike action to attend a housefire that claimed the life of a 76-year-old woman last night.

Several members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) left the picket line at the main fire station in Newtown, Powys, when they saw a Green Goddess speeding to a serious housefire.

In the weeks before the strike, union leaders had stressed they would suspend their action in case of emergency and last night's intervention sets the standard for other crews, with no end in sight to the dispute.

Two fire engines driven by strikers joined an RAF-run Green Goddess and a Breathing Apparatus Rescue Team (Bart), which reached the burning home in Falcon Court, Maesyrhandir, nine minutes after an emergency call at 7.04pm. The RAF crew and full-time firefighters, who also had breathing apparatus, forced entry to the house to rescue the woman, who lived alone and was believed to have been asleep when the fire broke out.

The woman, who has not been named, was taken to Welshpool hospital where she died shortly after arrival. Her next-door neighbour, who witnessed the rescue effort, said she was surprised how quickly the RAF responded but she speculated that the crew were hampered by equipment that was not "as good as with a normal fire engine".

Andy Gilchrist, the FBU leader, said: "Deaths in fires always affect firefighters deeply. Our thoughts are with the woman's family and friends. The Government and fire authorities are legally responsible for fire safety, whether we are on strike or not.

"Firefighters are among the finest humanitarians. That's why two fire crews turned out in response to the fire. Firefighters on the spot reacted in the way the public knew they would and I applaud them for doing so."

Paul Allsopp, principal officer for the Mid and West Wales Fire Brigade, said firefighters from the Newtown station rushed to the scene after reports that a person was involved. He said: "As a matter of policy, the brigade attended."

The response time was within fire service standards, he said. He could not comment on whether the incident would have been dealt with more quickly if the strike had not been in force.

A spokesman for the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, who has led negotiations with the FBU, said: "We are very upset to hear of the incident. Our thoughts are with the relatives of the family."

A woman who lived next-door in Falcon Court but who asked not to be named said: "We were watching television and I could hear a beeping noise. I thought it was a smoke alarm or a microwave beeping. The smoke alarms are in such poor places in these houses that they seem to go off all the time.

"We went out five minutes later and there were other neighbours already out there. We could see the smoke in the bedroom. There was also a police officer in the area who was on the scene quickly.

"The Green Goddess got there quite quickly but the equipment on board would not have been as good as with a normal fire engine. I don't think a fire engine would have got there any quicker.

"The elderly lady lived on her own but she was a well-known character. It is not a very big town," she said.

Judith Jones, another neighbour, said the Green Goddess was on the scene within minutes and crews were joined by local firefighters who left their picket line. "The woman lived on her own and wasn't very good on her feet. She'd been like that for a long time," she said.