FIVE upper dale firefighters have been awarded commendations after saving an elderly woman’s life during a house fire.
Incident commander Gary Lawson and firefighters Adam Holmes, Stephen Collinson, Craig Doherty and Ryan Meeson, from Middleton-in-Teesdale, arrived at the blaze in Mickleton on July 18, 2020.
Residents were already trying to get into the home themselves and confirmed an elderly woman was trapped inside.
A spokesperson for County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Services said: “The crew came up with a plan very quickly, led by incident commander Gary Lawson.”
Firefighters Collinson and Doherty entered the house in full breathing apparatus to rescue the woman.
“Luckily, they had prior knowledge of the layout as one of them is a tradesperson who had previously been inside the house,” said the spokesman, adding that their decision to search upstairs first ultimately saved the woman’s life.
Chief fire officer Stuart Errington, who awarded the heroic crew with their commendations, said: “There is no doubt the quick actions of the crew, their professionalism, decision making, and exemplary teamwork meant that they were able to save someone’s life.
“I am immensely proud of them all – well done.”
