Met Police officers have revealed how they they saved a woman from a property on fire in Harrow.
The woman is currently recovering in hospital after brave officers ran into the burning building to save her last Sunday (15 Jan)
Police officers on patrol in Harrow spotted smoke coming from the upstairs windows of a residential property in Headstone Road shortly after 2pm.
Instigating a call to London Fire Brigade (LFB), while they awaited their arrival, the police officers took immediate action to try and gain entry into the property by attempting to force the front door without success.
They were able to access the back garden via a side entrance officers were able to locate the source of the fire – a first floor rear room.
All this time the fire was intensifying. With all the doors locked, and realising the urgency given someone may be inside, one of the officers smashed a downstairs window with his baton.
Two officers climbed inside, one injuring his hand but continuing anyway. Unfortunately the lounge door was locked and officers were unable to access the main house.
One of the officers who remained outside attempting to find another way into the house spotted a woman inside and tried to get her to open the door but she was unable to. Further attempts to gain access to the property were then successful when a concrete block and glass hammer were thrown at the patio door, smashing it.
The entire downstairs area was now full of smoke, but the officers were able to locate the woman and guide her outside to safety. LFB arrived and extinguished the fire, and London Ambulance Service (who were also now in attendance) offered the woman, who was suffering from smoke inhalation, assistance at the scene before conveying her to hospital where she remains.
Police have confirmed that her condition is not life threatening and the cause of the fire is currently being investigated.
Inspector Bernie Cryan, of the North West Command Unit which covers Harrow, said: “What the officers have done here is just one example of the brave work officers across London are doing day in, day out.
“Without thinking about their own safety they have taken immediate steps to get into that property and bring the woman to safety. It is clear that without their swift and selfless actions this situation could have been a lot worse.”
