Heroes drag Chesterfield woman away from house fire just moments before explosion

Charlotte Harris, 26, and her care home colleague Lisa Cook were travelling back from their shift at AMG Nursing & Care Services at about 5.10pm on Sunday (6 December) when they spotted a woman in her 50s outside a property up in flames on Whittington Hill in Old Whittington, close to Devine Koffee.

Charlotte, from Old Whittington, said: “I saw this woman seated bang outside the window where the fire was. She had a dog in her arms and was screaming.

"We took her, got her a chair and calmed her down and made sure she was safe.”

She added: “There was a guy that stopped in the middle of the road, kicked her door down and dragged her out but he got back in his van and drove off.

"He did what he needed to do and went.”

The woman was taken to hospital but has since been discharged with minor injuries, Charlotte said.

Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service confirmed an investigation into how the blaze started is ongoing.

Charlotte, who has worked at AMG for five years, said: “The woman was in that much shock she was scrunched up.

"A firefighter said the windows were about to explode before we moved her. We dragged her away and and all the windows popped.”

She added: “My adrenaline was going, we had to do what we had to do.

"Being carers, we can’t leave anyone.”

The woman’s family are now trying to trace the man who initially helped her before leaving the scene. Anyone with information should contact Chesterfield Radio, who have been in touch with the family.

Charlotte said: “I was knelt in front of her holding her, her leggings were red hot. Luckily she didn’t have any burns.

"It was just a scary experience, but a rewarding one because we helped her.”

She added: “When I lay in bed last night all I could hear was that scream, I couldn’t get it out of my head.

"It was an experience and a half, put it that way. One of the guys there was being sick, he couldn’t cope with it.”