Bravery award for off-duty Luton policeman who evacuated residents and pets during serious house fire

An off-duty policeman who helped evacuate residents and pets from a house during a serious fire has received a bravery award.

PC Aaron Roberts was in his home in Marsh Farm, Luton, when he saw flames in a nearby back garden. He witnessed the fire quickly spread from the fences to the conservatory and quickly acted.

He called 999 to alert Bedfordshire Fire Service crews and then entered the property to successfully rescue the residents and the animals before the fire service arrived. This fire was so serious that Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service described it as a ‘very significant fire with smoke that was thick’.

Today, Thursday (March 10), Chief Fire Officer Andy Hopkinson visited Bedfordshire Police HQ to present PC Roberts with an award for bravery alongside Chief Constable Garry Forsyth.

PC Roberts recalled of the incident: "Having never attended a fire incident in the three years that I have worked in the police force, I found it shocking that the fire could spread so quickly.

"I was very lucky to be able to be there and to help to get the residents out so quickly without them or me getting hurt. I’m very grateful to the Chief Fire Officer and Chief Constable for presenting me with this award today."

Bedfordshire Fire Area Manager, Stuart Auger, said: "Without Aaron’s actions in removing the gentlemen from the property when he did the outcome would have been very different."