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Hero Kim saves 8 in flats blaze

Eve Dugdale
27/ 2/2008

WORKING as a night carer Kim Watson knew exactly what to do when a fire broke out in her home in the early hours.

Kim, 25, one of nine residents of a bedsit block on Stamford Street, Stalybridge, had just gone to bed at 4.30am on Saturday when she heard the smoke alarm.

"I walked out of my room across the landing and saw black smoke.

"I ran round banging on doors shouting everyone and then I got my mobile and rang 999, still screaming hysterically!" she said.

"There’s a few rooms at the top of the stairs so I ran up there to get them up."

Kim, who works at Staley House residential home, reckons the only reason she was still awake was because of the unsociable hours she works.

She said: "I’d worked all week and then got Friday and the weekend off so I’d been sleeping most of Friday.

"We do have fire training at work but I’ve not had to put it into practice before."

Fellow resident Matthew Forrester described Kim’s actions as ‘outstanding’.

"She was running round virtually kicking the doors down making sure everyone had got out of the building.

"She went into one person’s room and shook them until they were awake!

"She woke everyone up then ran upstairs to get her mobile to phone the fire brigade," he said.

"When I opened my door I saw large flames at the kitchen door and knew I had to get out.

"I stood by her when we got out because she was in tears with the stress and intensity of what had just happened."

Two men were rescued from the property by the fire brigade.

One went to hospital for a check-up but nobody was injured.

The residents have been staying in hotels and alternative accommodation since the blaze.