Dad rescues seven from blazing house

A Stalybridge man has been hailed a 'hero' after racing into a burning property and guiding seven people, including three children, to safety.

Darren Stanley, 31, has since been nominated for a bravery award by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS).

The father-of-two was driving to work through Ashton on January 27 when he noticed the flames, coming from a property on Stockport Road.

He described banging on the doors and windows, with no answer, and a member of the public pointing out a child standing at the window.

He said: "I looked up and I could see a silhouette in the window, so as soon as I'd seen that I proceeded to kick the door through.

"I was the first one to enter and I headed straight upstairs because I knew that smoke rises so the worst effected place would probably be upstairs.

"I could tell from how dark and cloudy the downstairs was that upstairs would be even worse, and it was - you couldn't even see your hand in front of your face on the third floor."

Darren added: "I was just going through every room, checking the cots and the beds, making sure we got everyone inside to safety.

"Once we thought we'd got everyone out, someone said to me 'my father's still in there' so I went back up the stairs and was checking all the rooms again.

"On the first floor, I noticed one door which was shut that I hadn't previously checked inside so I've gone inside there and it was a bathroom; inside was an elderly gentleman, maybe in his late 80s or early 90s, and he was still in the shower.

"He hadn't even realised what was going on. I pulled him out of the shower and I told him 'throw something on quick and get downstairs'. He put on a dressing gown and I pulled him downstairs & outside."

Darren explained that it had all 'happened instantly' and 'was over in around four minutes', expressing his gratitude that he was 'in the right place at the right time' to aid the families affected.

He added: "I don't think Manchester Fire Service get the recognition they deserve really, you very rarely see them in the news but until you're in that situation and you do something like that you don't realise what an amazing job they do.

"That property was only small in comparison to the stuff they deal with and the scenarios they face, but it really opens your eyes to what they're doing on a day to day basis.

"I served 10 years in the British Army, so people keep saying that will have helped but personally I think it was merely instinct. My mindset's just that if I was in that situation, if I was at work and my house was on fire with my wife and kids inside, I'd want somebody to go in and help them and do the same as what I did."

The repair and maintenance operative also received a letter from the House of Commons and from local MPs, congratulating him on his bravery, as well as an invite to the Mayor's Parlour later this month.

Daryll Smith, Customer Operations Manager at Network Plus, said: "We are incredibly proud of Darren for his actions that day - he is the reason every member of that family made it out of the property safely."

George Branch from United Utilities also praised Darren's quick-thinking, adding that he went 'above and beyond' and praising him for how 'incredibly brave' he was.