Man saved from Ilkeston house fire but pet dog died in blaze

The man, who lives alone and is in his 50s, could be heard screaming for help when fire broke out in his Stratford Street home in the early hours of Saturday morning.

His next-door-neighbour called 999 and another neighbour, Micheal Cauldwell, smashed an upstairs window at the back of the property so that the man could escape.

Unfortunately his pet Jack Russell did not survive the blaze.

Demmi Green, 21, who has two young children, aged one and two, said: “Just after 1am I was woken up by loud banging on glass. I thought someone was breaking in so I called 999. Then I heard shouts for ‘help’. I was told to stay on hold while they sent police officers out. Then I said ‘I think it’s a fire’. I could see the smoke. She told me not to go out the house, then the police were here. The fire was gushing everywhere, I could feel the heat through the walls.”

Demmi managed to run downstairs and out of the house with the children, who were screaming. She said she is now scared to sleep at the house because she feels the adjoining house is unsafe and the smoke fumes could be harmful. “I have never experienced anything like this in my life,” she said.

Pete Dodson, who lives opposite, said everybody living on the street came out of their houses: "When it was going up everybody was coming out on the street. The fire was so hot that the PVC front door folded in half. It was so hot it melted the windows.

"He was screaming at the bedroom window 'I'm on fire.'

"The house is not habitable now and we have heard he is out of hospital and staying with his parents."

The fire, which was tackled by crews from Ilkeston and Heanor, is believed to have been accidental.

Crews were called to the blaze on Stratford Street, Ilkeston, at about 1.20am on Saturday. A spokesman for Derbyshire fire service said: “The incident involved a two-storey terraced house on fire.

“Crews from Ilkeston and Heanor used four breathing apparatus and two hoses to extinguish the fire.

“They rescued a man who was treated by the ambulance service.”

Firefighters left the scene at about 4am.