'After seeing so many fire engines and ambulances we are just glad no-one has died' - relieved neighbours speak out after Bearwood house blaze
Neighbours awoken by shouts, sirens and fire engines attending a house fire in Bearwood have spoken of their relief they are not mourning a death today.
Residents on Dunsford Road, Bearwood, phoned 999 at 7.35am this morning and crews from Smethwick Fire Station were on the scene within five minutes.
And West Midlands Ambulance paramedics and West Midlands Police officers were not far behind them as emergency services converged on the residential street.
Four occupants of the property, which is now gutted and the subject of a fire service forensic investigation, were led to safety by first responders.
Dunsford Road resident Asha Bosha said: "When I opened my door this morning there were fire engines and ambulances everywhere. The house was wrecked by fire.
"I first thought someone must have died but saw the ambulance people caring for a man and child. None of them were seriously injured. We are just glad no-one was killed today."
He added: "We still don't know what happened and why the fire started."
Father of three Mohammed Khan praised the fire service for getting to the fire so quickly.
He said: "The houses are all attached to each other or really close to each other on these streets, so if the firemen had not got here so quickly it could easily have spread to the houses either side.
"My wife's friend phoned 999 when she saw flames coming out the bedroom window. The fire service were here within minutes and were running into the house. They seemed to put it out really quickly.
"It was great to see the people from the house walking about outside because we all were worried they were stuck inside the fire."
Fire crews were still outside the property at 2pm with the road closed to through traffic. West Midlands Police tape was stretched across either side of the house, which had scaffolding outside and showed the scars of a blaze with the bedroom totally gutted and scorched with fire.
National Grid and Doocey Groundwork teams, including a mini-digger, were outside the property until early afternoon.
A West Midlands Fire Service spokesman said: "Six crews attended the house fire in Dunsford Road, Bearwood this morning. We were first mobilised at 7.35am and the first appliance, from Smethwick Fire Station, was at the scene within five minutes."
He added: "We led four people to safety who had been in the property but had exited by the time we got there. No-one was injured."
West Midlands Police and West Midlands Ambulance Service have been approached for a comment.
