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Authors: Trisha Merry
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smell was much stronger in the hall, and it was definitely coming from the sitting room, so I turned the door handle and pushed it open, at which point the fire gave a huge
WHOOSH
and
blazed fiercely as it roared up the chimney. I slammed the door shut again and ran back into the hall, where I picked up the phone to dial 999 . . . just as the front door opened. We must have left
it on the latch without realising. There, in the open doorway, stood a tall fireman, all kitted up, complete with his helmet, and sporting a sooty smear down one side of his face. I couldn’t
believe it. This was surreal. Beyond him, I glimpsed three more firemen on the path outside. I felt quite stupid, standing there with the phone in my hand and my mouth wide open.
‘But I haven’t even rung you yet!’ I exclaimed.
‘No need to now,’ he said with a grin. ‘We’re already here. We just finished checking a false fire alarm that went off across the village when we saw the flames shooting
out of your chimney. Boy did it go! So we came straight round.’
He tramped his big boots across the hall and into the sitting room. ‘Ah yes.’ The others all followed him in and they all stood in the room, watching the fire burn.
‘Shouldn’t you be rushing around with hoses and all sorts?’ I asked.
‘There’s nothing we can do at the moment,’ he explained with a reassuring smile. ‘Except watch the fire, keep it safe and make sure it doesn’t blaze
outwards.’
‘OK. So, is there anything you want me to do, or shall I just get on?’
‘Are you the only one in the house?’ asked the man in charge.
‘Oh no, no, no.’
‘Is there anybody in the rooms above?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, the bricks will be getting very hot. You’ll need to go and get whoever it is to come down, just in case.’
So up I went, picked up the first baby, Gail, from her cot and carried her downstairs, then stood like a fool in the hall, wondering what to do with her while I went back for the next one.
‘Can you take her?’ I asked, and passed baby Gail into his arms.
‘Please be careful not to knock her head,’ I said.
He looked rather incongruous, standing there in full fire-fighting gear, cradling a baby. ‘What about your neighbours?’ he suggested. ‘Could they help?’
‘Oh yes.’ So we both went round to knock on their door. Luckily she was already up and about, but somewhat surprised when she saw me standing there with a fireman at half past eight
in the morning.
‘Mrs Clark,’ I began. ‘We’ve got a chimney fire blazing away in our house and I need to get the kids out.’
‘Here you are,’ said the chief fireman with a cheery smile as he plonked Gail into her reticent arms.
‘Could you look after her for a few minutes, and be careful not to knock her head, while I go back for the next one?’ I said.
‘Oh, OK,’ she agreed, holding baby Gail rather awkwardly, while giving the fireman a smile.
Of course, I realised, she and her husband had never had any children . . . but no time to worry about that. We rushed back into my house, where I went up and brought down the next one, Mergey,
and handed her to the fireman, who looked rather bemused to see another, even smaller baby.
Up I went again, and this time came down with toddlers Laurel in one arm and Alfie and his elephant in the other.
Now the fireman looked at me in disbelief, as I turned to go up for the fourth time.
‘How many kids have you got up there?
‘Only seven more.’
His mouth dropped open.
‘I’d better go and get them. I’ll go round and wake them all up and most of them will be able to clamber or walk down the stairs with me this time.’
‘I’ll come up and help you carry some of them down, just to make sure they don’t touch any of the walls.’ He looked worried now. ‘The bricks get burning hot and
they could start an internal fire.’
Now he tells me
!
Once the children were all safely round next door, with two of the firemen and
WHOOSH
and
blazed fiercely as it roared up the chimney. I slammed the door shut again and ran back into the hall, where I picked up the phone to dial 999 . . . just as the front door opened. We must have left
it on the latch without realising. There, in the open doorway, stood a tall fireman, all kitted up, complete with his helmet, and sporting a sooty smear down one side of his face. I couldn’t
believe it. This was surreal. Beyond him, I glimpsed three more firemen on the path outside. I felt quite stupid, standing there with the phone in my hand and my mouth wide open.
‘But I haven’t even rung you yet!’ I exclaimed.
‘No need to now,’ he said with a grin. ‘We’re already here. We just finished checking a false fire alarm that went off across the village when we saw the flames shooting
out of your chimney. Boy did it go! So we came straight round.’
He tramped his big boots across the hall and into the sitting room. ‘Ah yes.’ The others all followed him in and they all stood in the room, watching the fire burn.
‘Shouldn’t you be rushing around with hoses and all sorts?’ I asked.
‘There’s nothing we can do at the moment,’ he explained with a reassuring smile. ‘Except watch the fire, keep it safe and make sure it doesn’t blaze
outwards.’
‘OK. So, is there anything you want me to do, or shall I just get on?’
‘Are you the only one in the house?’ asked the man in charge.
‘Oh no, no, no.’
‘Is there anybody in the rooms above?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, the bricks will be getting very hot. You’ll need to go and get whoever it is to come down, just in case.’
So up I went, picked up the first baby, Gail, from her cot and carried her downstairs, then stood like a fool in the hall, wondering what to do with her while I went back for the next one.
‘Can you take her?’ I asked, and passed baby Gail into his arms.
‘Please be careful not to knock her head,’ I said.
He looked rather incongruous, standing there in full fire-fighting gear, cradling a baby. ‘What about your neighbours?’ he suggested. ‘Could they help?’
‘Oh yes.’ So we both went round to knock on their door. Luckily she was already up and about, but somewhat surprised when she saw me standing there with a fireman at half past eight
in the morning.
‘Mrs Clark,’ I began. ‘We’ve got a chimney fire blazing away in our house and I need to get the kids out.’
‘Here you are,’ said the chief fireman with a cheery smile as he plonked Gail into her reticent arms.
‘Could you look after her for a few minutes, and be careful not to knock her head, while I go back for the next one?’ I said.
‘Oh, OK,’ she agreed, holding baby Gail rather awkwardly, while giving the fireman a smile.
Of course, I realised, she and her husband had never had any children . . . but no time to worry about that. We rushed back into my house, where I went up and brought down the next one, Mergey,
and handed her to the fireman, who looked rather bemused to see another, even smaller baby.
Up I went again, and this time came down with toddlers Laurel in one arm and Alfie and his elephant in the other.
Now the fireman looked at me in disbelief, as I turned to go up for the fourth time.
‘How many kids have you got up there?
‘Only seven more.’
His mouth dropped open.
‘I’d better go and get them. I’ll go round and wake them all up and most of them will be able to clamber or walk down the stairs with me this time.’
‘I’ll come up and help you carry some of them down, just to make sure they don’t touch any of the walls.’ He looked worried now. ‘The bricks get burning hot and
they could start an internal fire.’
Now he tells me
!
Once the children were all safely round next door, with two of the firemen and
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