Taxi driver is house fire hero (From Warrington Guardian)

Taxi driver is house fire hero

A HERO taxi driver risked his life to save a young mum and her little boy from her burning home.

Ralph Williams, 60, raced inside Helen Brady's home and helped get her and son Paddy to safety just minutes before fire engulfed the property, blowing downstairs windows out and gutting neighbour's houses.

Speaking as a shell-shocked crowd watched dozens of firefighters battle the blaze in Newlyn Close, Brookvale, an emotional Mr Williams, said: "I just can't believe it spread as fast as it did.

"Those timber homes have just been totally destroyed. Everyone is gutted."

Mr Williams was alerted to the blaze by his wife, Les, who spotted smoke pouring out of her neighbour's roof as she hung the washing out.

"I heard Helen shouting from upstairs that her curtains were burning," he said.

"I ran home to get a fire extinguisher but when I went back inside I saw the flames were already on the ceiling and knew it would be no good.

"So I ran and got Helen and Paddy and took them to ours.

"I knew she had a parrot and a dog so I went back in and got them out too. It wasn't brave. I just knew the fire hadn't taken hold downstairs yet."

Mrs Brady, 25, was in bed when the fire began at around 9.30am last Friday morning.

She suffered minor burns to her hands and legs but her young son escaped unharmed from a blaze so fierce it spread to unoccupied neighbouring properties within minutes.

Bystanders praised the rapid response from fire fighters and paid tribute to Mr Williams' bravery.

"He's a nice type who would do anything for anyone," one said. "It's heartbreaking to think what these people are going to do now. They've lost everything."

Runcorn fire station's watch manager Neil Brook said the cause of the fire - so ferocious a Widnes firefighter's helmet was damaged beyond repair - was still being investigated.

A spokesperson for Arena Housing said both the tenants and owner-occupiers of the five properties damaged by the blaze had been temporarily re-housed while permanent accommodation is found.