Firefighters thank Olive for blaze heroics (From Thurrock Gazette)

Firefighters thank Olive for blaze heroics

3:00pm Friday 3rd August 2012 in News

FIREFIGHTERS revisted a blaze hit sheltered housing complex on Friday to thank its new heroine.

Olive Williamson, 97, woke in the early hours of Monday morning to discover yobs had set fire to the bins outside the Langland Close complex in Corringham.

The smoke alarms hadn’t sounded yet, and deadly smoke was creeping into the building as other residents slept.

Thanks to Olive’s quick call, fire fighters were able to arrive before anyone was hurt.

Corringham’s station officer Geoff Wheal called round to Olive’s flat to present her with flowers and a special commemorative coin.

He said: “We wanted to give you some flowers to say thank you.

“To mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Essex Fire Service has some very special coins made, which are normally only for firefighters, but as you did such a good job that night, we’d like to present you with one.

"You raised the alarm and everybody got out in time, so well done.”

Mr Wheal said the service’s chief officer David Johnson would also be writing to Olive to say thank you for her efforts.

Olive thanked Mr Wheal for the “beautiful” flowers and praised the firefighters for getting there so quickly on a night when she was “very frightened”.