Heroic police officers rescue elderly couple from terrifying house blaze

A pair of courageous cops who risked their lives by charging into a burning building to rescue the elderly occupants have won a South Yorkshire Police Federation Bravery Award.

PC Natalie Butler, and an officer who cannot be named for operational reasons, were first on the scene at the dramatic incident in Doncaster on April 22 last year. As the first two officers on the scene, PC Butler and her colleague knew they had to act quickly because the fire in the upstairs bedroom was projecting toxic fumes throughout the building.

Crowds had gathered outside, warning that there were two vulnerable occupants trapped inside. Without waiting for the fire service to attend, the officers rushed inside to help.

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One of the elderly occupants was overweight and had mobility issues, and on entry, they found him sitting on his sofa, reluctant to move. The officers managed to get him onto his mobility scooter, which they then had to push outside because it was broken.

The female occupant – who was in shock – was also unwilling to go, telling the officers she wanted to stay inside to gather sentimental items. PC Butler had to work quickly and with empathy to get her to safety, before evacuating neighbours in case the fire spread.

The fire service attended shortly after and fortunately no-one was hurt. PC Butler said: “I don’t think I realised when we arrived that the property was almost up in a blaze.

“I was just focused on getting people out of there. It wasn’t until afterwards when we spoke to the firemen that they said that we were quite lucky. The fire had burned through the floorboards and gone through some computer electricals.”

On winning the award, she said: “It is great to be nominated. You just do this job and you don’t really expect anything from it.

“That’s policing; we’re there to help people. I didn’t really expect any recognition or anything, so we are grateful to receive it.”

Steve Kent, Chair of South Yorkshire Police Federation, said: “It should never be forgotten that police officers rush in while others stay clear. Without a thought for their own safety, these officers placed themselves at great risk in order to save the lives of two vulnerable people.

“Their courage, professionalism and calmness when faced with significant danger is to their credit, epitomising the highest values of the police service. We would like to thank them for their exceptional bravery.”

PC Butler will attend the South Yorkshire Police Federation Bravery Awards on Thursday 25 May. At the event a winner will be announced who will travel to London for the National Police Federation Bravery Awards in July.

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