THE FIRE

Many people have asked me what really happened on the day of the fire.

Since that day I have not really talked about it in great detail.

Because of the SAMA web site I now have the opportunity to tell how it really was and hopefully put it to rest.

 

Sunday 28th February 1993

I awoke on a very cold morning around 4:00am from hearing loud screams and shouting.

At that time especially in February when its usually dark I was surprised to find the whole of my bedroom lit up as if it was daylight.

I thought the outside security light at the back of my house was on and that the shouting and screaming was fighting outside.

It was only when I looked out of my window to my amazement a house opposite a few gardens down from my house was fully ablaze.

There were several people outside in the garden trying unsuccessfully to break a top floor window by throwing bits of concrete slabs and bricks at it, one person was using a long scaffold pole in trying to break it.

I realised then that children were trapped in the room

A man was screaming at the top of his voice

"help me, someone please help, save my kids".

From his frantic screams I knew that children must somehow be trapped in the house. However at the time I did not know it was his wife and his three young children, the youngest being an 18 month old baby boy who all were trapped in their top floor bedroom.

It was lucky I had a long metal ladder

I knew I had a long metal builders ladder in my back garden. So I got dressed superman style and rushed round to the back of my house and got the ladder. I then sprinted 150 yards down a side lane and three houses along finally jumping over a garden fence with the ladder to reach the fire.

On reaching the fire

As I got to the house I was a bit shocked as a huge fireball of flames was engulfing the whole lower back area of the house and who I presumed to be the father was running around in panic screaming.

The fire was now starting to engulf the whole house and because of the intense heat, flames and black smoke it was virtually making it impossible for anyone to get close to the house. At this stage the father and his neighbours all seemed to be in a complete state of shock and seemed helpless of really not knowing what to do next.

I extended the ladder to its full height.

When I arrived at the fire people out of sheer panic wildly grabbed at the ladder, but in their panic state of mind in trying to extend the ladder all that they were doing was fighting against each other and as we are told that seconds count in a fire I felt someone had to take control. So shouting at the top of my voice I told all of them to leave the ladder alone.

I extended the ladder and somehow summoned enough strength to lift it upright pitching it directly over the fire on to the window ledge. Climbing as fast as I could up though the flames I instantly felt such intense heat on my body that I have never experienced in my life.

On reaching the top of the ladder I encountered thick black hot acrid smoke and found it virtually impossible to see anything as well as finding it hard to breath.

I would like to stress that finding the strength to stay up that ladder in such dire circumstances was hard for me to take.

Because of the unevenness of the ground the ladder lent over slightly to one side. So there I was, at the top of this wonky ladder, perched perilously above a raging fire below, burning up and choking to death.

Is it not strange how things seem to happen in life, one minute your tucked up cozy in your warm bed, the next minute your risking your life in a desperate and dangerous situation. God only knows what's ahead of ones life.

The ladder was so wonky that later when the fire service did arrive one of the firemen fell of the ladder and broke his arm, so how I managed to stay up on that ladder in such conditions I have no idea.

I shattered the window

In sheer desperation on hearing the children screaming I shattered the window with a single punch, I then pushed the jaggered glass down that was around the window to widen the gap to help the family to escape and therefore to stop them cutting themselves on the sharp glass. In doing this I deeply cut my own fingers, nearly slicing one of my little fingers clean off.

Through the pitch black smoke

It felt like ages being on top of that ladder then through the dense smoke I somehow sensed a small shape flying directly towards me, it was the 18 month old baby boy.

I was told later the mother in sheer panic and in her desperation once she heard the smashing of the window, felt the in-rush of fresh air saw a chance to save her baby and made a split decision to throw the baby out of the window in the hope that at least her youngest child's life might somehow be saved.

I managed to catch hold of that little boy, and to this day I am not really sure how I did this especially in such awful circumstances and especially in such dense smoke and without holding on to that wonky ladder. However I do know that lady luck was on both our sides that day, for falling off the ladder would of meant both of us or even the child dropping around 30ft into the fire raging below us.

Gripping the baby tight to my chest and trying to protect him from the heat and flames with my jacket I started to climb down but having to jump the last 8ft as the flames were now at this stage engulfing that far up the ladder.

On reaching the ground I handed the little boy over to a frantic but very thankful father,

Totally exhausted from my ordeal of the pain of the tremendous heat that I had to endure and inhaled black smoke clearly took it's toll on me. Can you believe it, after going through all that I fell on to a very large rusty nail that was sticking out of a piece of wood on the ground which happily pierced my lower back. Just my luck I thought.

I was told by the county fire officer

Afterwards I was told by the county fire officer that because of my actions of i.e.; rushing to the fire with my ladder and then having the courage in risking my life by climbing up through flames, heat and smoke, then having the physical power to break the toughened double glazed window with no protection and nothing but my bare hands which was dangerous in itself as I was told at the hospital it might of severed one of my veins. Therefore not only did I save the baby but I also saved the lives of the mother and the other two children as I made it possible for a quick escape as I was also told  that afterwards it was only sheer minutes after they all got out the floor of the  bedroom collapsed into the fire below. The fire officer stated afterwards that mere minutes wasted in such dire situations is clearly a life or death situation.

It's hard for anyone to imagine unless they actually experience such a thing

Again I would like to express that while I was perched on top of the ladder the heat and smoke from such a fire was incredibly intense and is something hard to imagine unless you experience it.

It felt like that my whole body was burning up and that I would simply burst into flames at any minute. The pain from such heat was so excruciating I must stress that I had to constantly fight extremely hard mentally every second of the way to block it out and to be honest at one stage I thought I could not carry on with this. It was so hot the soles of my training shoes melted and my track bottoms were left in cindered shreds.

As well as my hands being badly cut

My face as you can see from the picture was cut and burnt and this was just from the searing heat and the hot bits of glass from the window that shattered and splintered into my face from my punch. Afterwards my hair and eyebrows were singed and my hands were cut from the glass and also burnt from holding on to the metal ladder which had become hot.

No escape

Because the window had no large opening to escape from, the mother I am told tried in sheer desperation to break the window from inside with a brass lamp, unfortunately like her husband and others she was unsuccessfully. As well as being a small window which did not help it was also made from strong toughened double glazed glass.

As the mother and her children lay trapped with the thick black smoke pouring into the room it was when she felt the floorboards getting hot and when flames started to lick up through the floorboards she finally realised the hopelessness of their situation. Gathering up her three children they all huddled together under a duvet.

The mother stated afterwards in the papers that she blacked out many times during this period and quoted in the Sunday Mail "YES" magazine (see photo) at that stage

"We'd given up hope of being rescued. I gave the boys a last hug and we got ready to die"

The Chief Fire Officer of Sussex stated

"It was one of the worst house fires he had seen for 30 years in Sussex". The receptionist at the fire station was so overwhelmed by so many frantic callers saying that they were "children trapped in their bedroom and burning to death" that she got so stressed she had to take many weeks of work and have counseling.

The cause of the fire

The fire was so intense that every single thing in the house was burnt to ashes. The cause of the fire was believed to be a scented plug that overheated when a chair was pushed up against it and the chair eventually caught fire.

The reason the father was outside

The father awoke after hearing noises downstairs. Thinking it was burglars he crept downstairs then when he opened the kitchen door he was thrown of his feet by a huge ball of flames that exploded engulfing the whole stairs to the upper floor making it virtually impossible for him to go back up and therefore had no choice but to crawl outside to the back garden.

Unfortunately the house had no smoke alarms.

After the rescue

After the rescue I went home totally covered in black soot, got washed and although looking like a red lobster I bandaged my hands put antiseptic cream on my face, it may sound crazy but I then went back to bed.

I could not sleep due to the intense feeling of my body burning up along with the aggravation from the many burns and cuts. Like many who have trained hard in the past in martial arts I am a bit stubborn and expect things to just eventually heal in time. However I was a little bit worried about one thing and that was catching tetanus from that large rusty old nail that went deep into my lower back. Because of this and because of my wife's nagging persistence I finally relented and persuaded myself to go to hospital.

When I got to the hospital I have to say I got a bit embarrassed as I was greeted by a very happy and a very emotional father.

I was told later

As I left the scene so promptly after the rescue and without speaking to anyone, the police and everyone involved were looking for me as they had no idea who I was or where I came from.

Still as they say, life goes on

Two hours later and just back from hospital I had to go to a Sunday morning grade. Everyone there were naturally shocked to see the state I was in as the burns on my face although not pretty themselves was now oozing some fluid. Although I tried to hide my face especially from the children which is impossible to do in a grade many of the poor children naturally were shocked and confused at my appearance for

I surely must of looked like Freddy Kruger in a karate uniform.

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Nominated for the queens Award for Bravery

 

 


Fire drills are a big part of being safe in school: They prepare you for what you need to do in case of a fire.

But what if there was a fire where you live?

Would you know what to do?

Talking about fires can be scary because no one likes to think about people getting hurt or their things getting burned. But you can feel less worried if you are prepared.

It's a good ideas for families to talk about what they would do to escape a fire. Different families will have different strategies. Some kids live in one-story houses and other kids live in tall buildings. You'll want to talk about escape plans and escape routes, so let's start there.

Know Your Way Out
An escape plan can help every member of a family get out of a burning house. The idea is to get outside quickly and safely. Smoke from a fire can make it hard to see where things are, so it's important to learn and remember the different ways out of your home. How many exits are there? How do you get to them from your room?

It's possible one way out could be blocked by fire or smoke, so you'll want to know where other ones are. And if you live in an apartment building, you'll want to know the best way to the stairwell or other emergency exits.

If you're in a room with the door closed when the fire breaks out, you need to take a few extra steps:

  • 1) Check to see if there's heat or smoke coming in the cracks around the door. (You're checking to see if there's fire on the other side.)
  • 2) If you see smoke coming under the door - don't open the door! 3) If you don't see smoke - touch the door. If the door is hot or very warm - don't open the door!
  • 4) If you don't see smoke - and the door is not hot - then use your fingers to lightly touch the doorknob. If the doorknob is hot or very warm - don't open the door!

If the doorknob feels cool, and you can't see any smoke around the door, you can open the door very carefully and slowly. When you open the door, if you feel a burst of heat, or smoke pours into the room, quickly shut the door and make sure it is really closed. If there's no smoke or heat when you open the door, go toward your escape route exit. Stay Low
If you can see smoke in the house, as you make your way to the exit, stay low to the ground. In a fire, smoke and poisonous air hurt more people than the actual flames do. You'll breathe less smoke if you stay close to the ground. Smoke naturally rises, so if there is smoke while you're using your escape route, staying low means you can crawl under most of it. You can drop to the floor and crawl on your hands and knees below the smoke.

Exiting through a door that leads outside should be your first choice as an escape route, but also ask your parents about windows and if they would be possible escape routes. Even windows on a higher floor could be safe escape routes if you had help, like from a firefighter or another adult.

Ask your parents to teach you how to unlock the windows, open them, and remove the screen, if needed. Make sure you only do this in an emergency!

Lots of kids are injured because they fall out of windows.

Sometimes, families even have collapsible rescue ladders that can be used to escape from upper floors of a house. If you have one, ask your mom or dad to show you how it works. In addition to planning your escape routes, you'll also want to know where family members will meet outside. This is helpful because then everyone shows up in one place and you'll know that everyone is safe. You might choose the front porch of a neighbor's house or some other nearby spot.

It's normal to worry about your pets or a favorite toy, but if there is a fire, you have to leave them behind. The most important thing is that you get out safely. It's also important to know that you shouldn't stay in the house any longer than you must - not even to call 999. Someone else can make that call from outside. Once you're out, do not go back in for anything - even pets.

What if You Can't Get Out Right Away?
If you can't get out fast, because fire or smoke is blocking an escape route, you'll want to yell for help. You can do this from an open window or call 999 if you have a phone with you.

Even if you're scared, never hide under the bed or in a closet. Then, firefighters will have a hard time finding you. Know that firefighters or other adults will be looking for you to help you out safely. The sooner they find you, the sooner you both can get out.

In the meanwhile, keep heat and smoke from getting through the door by blocking the cracks in the door with sheets, blankets, and or clothing. If there is a window in the room that is not possible to escape from, open it wide and stand in front of it. If you can grab a piece of clothing or a towel, place it over your mouth to keep from breathing in the smoke. This works even better if you wet the cloth first.

Home Drills
It's great to talk about emergency plans, but it's even better if you practice them, like the fire drills you have at school. Having a fire drill at home gives everyone a chance to see how they would react in a real emergency. You can see how quickly and safely everyone can get out of the house.

A good rule of thumb during a home fire drill is to see if your family can safely get out the house using the escape routes and meet outside at the same place within 3 minutes. For an extra challenge, you might try variations, like pretending that the front door was blocked and you couldn't get out that way.

Fire safety experts recommend having at-home fire drills regularly so everyone stays sharp. It's also a good time to remind your parents to change the batteries in the smoke alarms.

If Your Clothes Catch Fire
A person's clothes could catch fire during a fire or by accident, like if you step too close to a candle. If this happens, don't run! Instead, stop, drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands, and roll. This will cut off the air and put out the flames. An easy way to remember this is: Stop, Drop, and Roll!

Preventing Fires
Every year, kids start 100,000 fires that hurt people and damage property. You can do your part to prevent fires by never playing with matches, lighters, and other fire sources. Also stay away from fireplaces, candles, and stoves. By following this advice, you'll be doing important work - preventing fires in the first place!

 

With the Lord & Lady Mayor and the award

 
 

 After the fire, my hands and face were cut and burnt.

 

Everything was burnt to ashes. The bedroom that the mother and the children were trapped in is the one directly above the fireman. The window from the ground is much higher than you might image as the fireman is standing on piles of burnt debris
 

My story was told in many local and national newspapers

as well as being featured in magazines.

I also appeared on channel 4s the"Big Breakfast Show" with Gaby Roslin, "Meridian Television" and BBC's"That's Life"
 
 

 
 
Sections from the Argus newspaper
 
 
 
 
 
 

nominated by one of my karate kids for

BBC hearts of gold certificate
.

Standing in my back garden you can now see how far the fire was in relation to my back garden.

 

Seen here featured in an American and Canadian magazine.

What it says is this.

It sounds like a scene from a Steven Segal movie. House in flames. People  screaming.

Mother and children trapped on the second floor. Hero smashes through double glazed glass to rescue.

But instead of a Hollywood backlot, the scene was set in Coledean, near Brighton in England.

It happened "for real" one early March morning this year.

Alan Gibson had been slumbering peacefully when a noise woke him up. "At first I thought it was a fight," he says but soon noticed the fiery glow of the two-storey home behind his house.

Outside frantic .........(fathers name taken out to protect his identity) and a neighbour were trying to smash windows of toughened double glazed glass to no avail.

Trapped upstairs were his wife with children (names taken out) ........,  ....... and baby ........  According to Alan, the fire began because of an electrical malfunction.

Earlier that morning the father had gone to investigate an odd noise in the front room. An explosion blow him off his feet.

He managed to crawl into the garden as flames engulfed the ground floor, trapping the family upstairs.

Alan, a martial arts expert and instructor, carried his 20 foot ladder to the blazing home and propped it up to the window," where the family stood. I never even thought about whether or not I could smash the window," he says. But he did managed to break the window, badly cutting and burning his face and hands. It also goes on to say that I run a martial arts organisation in southern England, etc, etc.

 

 

added together