Hero Paul saves blaze neighbour

RESCUE hero Paul Hulley

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A 41-YEAR-OLD man saved the life of a neighbour, dragging her unconscious body from her burning flat.

Paul Hulley climbed over a security fence and wrenched open a window to reach the woman after he was alerted by her cries for help and breaking glass.

“All I could see was her hand, black from the fire, on the windowsill.

“I had to break the fittings in the window to get it open, by which time she had passed out.

“I managed to get my hands under her armpits and drag her out.

“She was like a rag doll.

“I couldn’t believe the colour of her, she was black all over, and my concern then was if there was anyone else in the house,” said Paul.

“She came round a bit and was confused.

“She said she didn’t know if anyone else was inside, so I left her with my wife, Michelle, and banged on the doors of the people in the flats above to get them out.”

Paul’s quick actions saved the life of the 49-year-old woman.

“The firemen said if I had been a minute-and-a-half later it would have been a different story,” said Paul.

The drama unfolded at 1am today in Frances Street, Derker, where the blaze started in a ground floor flat in a block three-storeys high.

Paul lives with his family in London Road, which backs on to the flats.

Vivienne Haslop lives in a flat in the middle floor and went out onto her balcony after she was woken by smoke.

She said: “I saw her being rescued, and being laid on the ground in the square at the back of the flats.

“The fire brigade, an ambulance and the police came, but if it wasn’t for Paul helping her out through the window I don’t know what would have happened.”

The woman who was pulled from the fire was given oxygen therapy at the scene before she was taken to the Royal Oldham Hospital and treated for smoke inhalation. She discharged herself an hour later.

Green watch crew manager, Rick Taylor said there was no fire alarm in the flat, which could have given an early warning to the occupant.

A fire brigade spokesman said an investigation into the cause of the fire was under way.