Woman throws brick through neighbour’s window to save him from fire

A woman saved her neighbour’s life last night (Tuesday) when she threw a brick through his window to wake him as a fire threatened to envelop his Hampstead Garden Suburb home.

The fire ripped through the roof of the house in Norrice Lea at around 11.16pm on Tuesday, causing serious damage to the loft.

The man was “fast asleep” and a quick-thinking neighbour who noticed the blaze banged on his door to try and rouse him. She resorted to throwing a brick through his window as the fire spread.

Six fire engines from West Hampstead, Kentish Town, Hornsey, Finchley and Soho sped to the scene after the woman alerted emergency services.

Watch manager David Huffington, who was at the scene, said: “There was a man asleep in the house at the time and as he didn’t have any smoke alarms he wasn’t aware that the fire had broken out.

“Fortunately for him, a neighbour was passing by and noticed the smoke.

“We heard that she banged on the doors and couldn’t rouse him so as a last resort she threw a brick through the window, which did wake him up and he managed to escape.

“This man is lucky to be alive, if it weren’t for his quick-thinking neighbour he might not have realised there was a fire until it was too late.

“If you’ve not got a smoke alarm, I’d urge you to get one today.”

Fire crews are investigating the cause of the fire.