Neighbour pulls woman from her burning home

5:12pm Wednesday 29th November 2006

An 82-year-old woman has been rescued from her burning Mill Hill home by a neighbour.

Residents noticed smoke coming from Marcelle Campbell's house, in Devonshire Road, at around 12.30pm on Friday, and called the fire brigade.

Ismet Cakiroglu, 35, realised that Mrs Campbell would still be at home so he broke a window - injuring his hand - and climbed in to the house. He managed to pull her to the broken window so she could breathe, but did not want to drag her out because of the jagged glass. Another neighbour got a key for the house, and Mrs Campbell was pulled to safety.

Mr Cakiroglu said: "All I was thinking was that I needed to get her out of the house. It wasn't a very big fire, but I think she panicked and could not get out of the house because of the smoke. I knew she couldn't walk very well so I had to help."

Mrs Campbell was taken to Barnet Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

Her daughter Helene Godwin said: "I am very grateful to him, that he put his own life at risk. I was very concerned that he had suffered some injuries and had to have stiches, which meant that he has to take some time off work.

"In the moment of emergency he was able to act promptly, because I think a few more minutes and she would have no longer been with us.

"She has recovered remarkably well and will hopefully be home soon."

Mr Cakiroglu is a chef at Izgara restaurant in Hendon Lane, Finchley. His colleague and best friend Ozgur Korkmaz said: "I am very proud of him because he did such a brave thing and saved someone's life.

"He knew that the elderly woman could not get out and put his life at risk to save her."

Four fire engines and around 20 firefighters attended the scene. The fire was under control by 1pm. The cause of the fire has not yet been established.