Canford Heath flat fire: Neighbours describe shock

Emergency services were called shortly after 1am on the morning of Sunday, September 10, to reports of a flat fire in Thorncombe Close in Canford Heath, Poole.

A man in his 40s was rescued by firefighters but despite the best first aid efforts of emergency services, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

His family has been informed and the coroner notified.

Residents said they saw the flat well alight in the minutes before the firefighters arrived.

Jamie Kane said he was woken by his children who had seen the fire from their home.

“I ran across the road over here and I could see flames coming out through the window,” he said.

“And then I’ve gone round to the doors round there. I’ve opened the door and tried to go in and the smoke was just way too much, really too heavy for me.

“All I could see was smoke coming out, there was glass breaking everywhere.”

One resident said he saw the window of the flat ‘explode out’ due to the fire.

“We were just sat watching YouTube and said 'that doesn’t smell ok.'

“I checked out of the window and there were plumes of smoke coming out.

He added: “It was shocking.”

Another resident said she was woken up by her husband at around 1.15am.

“I saw a couple of people run over,” she said.

“About five minutes later, fire brigade, ambulances. I don’t know how long after the air ambulance came but they came as well and police were here and the car that has all the doctors in.

“It went up really quick.”

Dorset Police say an investigation into the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding it is under way and ongoing.

Police officers are helping fire investigators with determining the cause of death for the county coroner.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service sent a total of four crews to the scene, three from Poole and one from Redhill.