Dog rescued as fire rips through flat at Milton Keynes

A dog was rescued from the balcony of a second-floor flat at Oakgrove today (July 10).

Two appliances and crews from West Ashland, one from Broughton, one from Newport Pagnell and five officers tackled the blaze at Omega House in Gambit Avenue - which began at about 1.30pm.

One onlooker, John Muldoon said: "In this day and age you don't expect the flames to engulf the whole place. It was horrific.

"I was shocked at how quickly they took hold and how fast the flames went up. It is a worry.

"Thankfully, the people got out of the flat but the dog was trapped on the balcony."

And he added that fire crews struggled to get to the dog initially as they were blocked by the balcony.

According to John and friend Haydar Dehayni - who caught the fire on camera - the blaze at the four-storey block was put out just before 3pm.

A Bucks Fire & Rescue spokesman confirmed the dog was rescued, that they are investigating the cause of the fire and that they reinspected the site the following morning.

The flat was 75 per cent damaged by fire and 100 per cent damaged by heat and water, and there was water and smoke damage to common and lobby areas.

A spokesman for Milton Keynes Council said: “We quickly set up a rest centre so the local residents have somewhere to take shelter while the fire is dealt with, and we’ve checked that the building’s owner is making appropriate arrangements for everyone who can’t get straight back into their homes.”

A spokesman for housing association, Clarion Housing Group, said: “We are working with the households affected to arrange temporary accommodation while we complete our investigations and any remedial work required so that they can return to their homes as soon as possible.”