Son 'no hero' despite saving mother in fire
A quick-thinking carer who saved his elderly mother from a fire today spoke of his actions – and insisted he was no hero.
Firefighters said Margaret Burdoch, 82, of Muxton, was lucky to be alive, after a cigarette set her sofa alight.
Her son and carer Gary Burdoch, 57, was awoken by the smell of smoke at the chalet in Old Willow Road, at 4.45am on Wednesday.
"I made my way out of the bedroom and when I got into the corridor there were wisps of smoke," said Mr Burdoch, a retired computer scientist.
"I opened the lounge door and was hit by a solid wall of black smoke. I couldn't see anything at all but I knew something was drastically wrong.
"I went back to my mother's bedroom and she wasn't there so I came back to the lounge. It was filled with smoke so I couldn't see a thing but I walked towards the settee and there was no sign of her.
"As I turned around there she was sprawled on the floor by my feet. I picked her up and dragged her out and called the fire brigade.
"I am just so glad I woke up. If she had been in that smoke for a few minutes longer she could have died. And if I had carried on sleeping I would have been the same."
Mrs Burdoch was taken by ambulance to the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford where was treated for smoke inhalation and is expected to make a full recovery.
She lost some of her hair after it was singed but escaped with only scortches to her clothing.
Mr Burdoch hopes she will be home soon, adding: "I've been with her in hospital everyday and she's pretty perky.
"They are taking good care of her and they've tidied up her hair as she's lost a bit off the top."
Modest Mr Burdoch said he acted on instinct to save his mother's life.
"Anybody with an ounce of common sense would do the same," he said.
Fire crews from Telford Central and Wellington were able to put out the fire within 40 minutes. The flames caused extensive damage to the sofa and the living room was smoke damaged.
Station manager John Griffiths from Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said Mr Burdoch's actions "undoubtedly saved the woman's life".
"It appears she was smoking a cigarette and fell asleep," he added.
"The cigarette started a smouldering fire in the settee which smoke-logged the room, she is very lucky to be alive."
He warned that smoking materials were a common cause of fires and stressed the importance of taking care when using and disposing of cigarettes.
