Welwyn house fire: Neighbour catches children lowered from windows

Conner Martin with his daughter Amy

A neighbour who helped children escape from a house fire says he acted on instinct to save them.

Conner Martin, 25, caught the boy and girl as they were lowered from a window of the burning building, as first reported by the Welwyn Hatfield Times.

Fire crews then arrived to rescue a third child and a woman from the property in Welwyn Garden City.

Mr Martin was thanked by the fire service, which said the fire underlined the importance of fitting smoke alarms.

He was outside having a cigarette when he heard shouting and saw smoke coming from a house four doors down in Knella Road, in the early hours of Sunday 30 December.

"I could see hands at the window as there was a lot of smoke," he said. "I just ran round. I have never done anything like this before."

'It was a blur'

He said he saw a woman outside calling the fire brigade, but was pushed back by the thick smoke when he ran into the house.

The self-employed builder then climbed into the garden and used a ladder to reach the boy coming out of the window.

"They dangled him and once I had hold of one of his legs, I said 'I've got him', they let go and I caught him," said Mr Martin.

"A girl's feet started coming out backwards and I'm not too sure if she fell or jumped, but she fell on to me and we fell from the ladder. It was all a blur but we were both OK."

Mr Martin said he did not know the family he helped well, but that they had been "very grateful". He added: "I just did what a lot of people would do."

Sean Comerford, district commander at Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said having working smoke alarms was crucial.

He added: "The whole family should know the best way to get out of their home should they need to escape - practise this escape route together as a family."