Heroic Sheffield neighbour tackled huge flat fire for 20 minutes before firefighters arrived

A Stocksbridge man who bravely fought an inferno in a block of flats on his street with a garden hose has described what it was like to battle the flames.
By Lloyd Bent
Published 5th Feb 2021, 14:37 BST
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The fire broke out on Laburnum Grove, Stocksbridge, at around 4.30pm on Tuesday, February 2.

Retired steel work crane driver Mark Alliban, 57, said: “I looked out of the window and saw they were on fire and I thought I had better get going and try and help put it out.

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“I knew I had a hose so I got that out and ran across with it.

Mark Alliban, 57Mark Alliban, 57
Mark Alliban, 57

“The fire was massive. I could feel the heat. The flames were really shooting out of the windows. The glass had all fallen out before I got there so it was just plastic frames.

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"I asked people who were standing around if anybody was still inside and if the dogs were in there but it would have been impossible to go inside and save anybody.

"Luckily the dogs were safe and the man who lived there was out.

A flat on Laburnum Grove, Stocksbridge, Sheffield, suffered significant damage in a blaze earlier this week (Photo: Anthony Andrews)A flat on Laburnum Grove, Stocksbridge, Sheffield, suffered significant damage in a blaze earlier this week (Photo: Anthony Andrews)
A flat on Laburnum Grove, Stocksbridge, Sheffield, suffered significant damage in a blaze earlier this week (Photo: Anthony Andrews)
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“The fire would have probably completely destroyed the roof if I had not been there.”

Mark was the only person dampening the flames for almost half an hour.

He added: “The hose could just about reach but I could have done with it being a bit longer. I managed to keep the flames down and saved the flat next door.

“I was fighting the fire for quite a long time, at least 20 minutes, before the fire engines managed to get here from Sheffield. I just stood there and squirted water at the flames until they came.

Mark Alliban, who fought the fire with his garden hose.Mark Alliban, who fought the fire with his garden hose.
Mark Alliban, who fought the fire with his garden hose.

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“Laburnam Grove is a cul-de-sac and it can be quite hard to find. The fire engines had to come from Sheffield rather than the local Stocksbridge station and there was a fair bit of snow, which all slowed them down.

"When the fire brigade came they put a lot of water into the fire. It completely destroyed the flat below with water damage."

Mark’s friend Cliff is 82 and lived in the flat below.

All of his possessions were destroyed and he has had to go and live with his sister in Beighton.

"I really feel for him,” Mark said. “It’s a tragedy. All his possessions are gone."

Related topics:SheffieldStocksbridge