Fire service hails 'selfless' dad who saved others

Olly Bell (left) said he was "grateful" to receive the award

A man who risked his own safety to warn others of a fire has been hailed for his "truly selfless" actions.

Olly Bell was at work in Huddersfield town centre on 26 July when he noticed "thick black smoke" coming from a takeaway restaurant. After calling the emergency services, he rushed into the building to alert people living upstairs to the blaze.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) said the 31-year-old's actions "saved people from potential serious harm".

Mr Bell, from Halifax, said it was "very nice to know that I have made a difference".

Mr Bell said smoke had begun to fill the corridor when he got inside the building. Thanks to his quick thinking, everyone was safely evacuated before the fire service arrived and tackled the blaze.

Julian King, Huddersfield watch commander at WYFRS, described Mr Bell's actions as "truly selfless" and said he "went above and beyond" in the face of danger.

'Just instinct'

Mr King recommended Olly to WYFRS district commander Dale Gardiner for an appreciation award and said he should be "very proud" of himself.

“At scenarios like this early warning is critical and I have no doubt with his actions Olly has saved people from potential serious harm."

Dad-of-one Mr Bell said he had done "something anybody with a heart would do".

"I'm grateful for the award and my family are very proud."

So proud is his partner of nine years Sarah, she plans to tell their one-year-old son about her dad's bravery when he is old enough to understand.

Mr Bell, who works for Yorkshire Water, said: "The last thing I wanted was for anyone to be injured, trapped, or worse if the fire spread. It was just instinct to try and help.”

WYFRS said the cause of the fire was likely an electrical fault in the Manchester Road takeaway’s kitchen area.

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