Woman evacuated neighbours from flat fire which killed pensioner

2:10pm Wednesday 8th September 2010

By Kevin Bradford

NEIGHBOURS have spoken of their lucky escape from a flat blaze that killed a pensioner in Temple Fortune early yesterday morning.

The victim has not been formally identified but has been named locally as Rodney Wayne, who is thought to have lived alone in Belmont Court, off Finchley Road. He died after a fire broke out in his five-room flat at about 3am.

The 68-year-old was found by fire crews in his bed and pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigations are under way to establish the cause of the blaze, but it is thought it was sparked by a lighted cigarette.

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, only returned from holiday earlier in the night and was able to alert others living in the block.

She was the only one to have been woken by the smoke alarm in Mr Wayne's flat, which adjoined her own, and dialled 999.

“His alarm started to beep and the smoke started coming out. I called my neighbour and told everyone to get out. I was knocking on people's doors because there are a lot of elderly people in the block.

“We could have all died. I had only just come back from holiday and I don't know what would have happened if I wasn't in.”

The woman also claimed several neighbours had voiced their concerns to authorities about Mr Wayne living on his own after his mother died a few years ago.

The neighbour said: “A number of people had told Barnet Council they need to take responsibility for the elderly here before it was too late, and now it is too late.”

Another woman, who also asked not to be named, admitted it was lucky she was woken by her neighbour soon after the fire broke out.

She said: “I was in shock. If she hadn't been home and woken up, we could have been roasted in our beds.”

She also claimed a burnt mattress was removed by cleaners from Mr Wayne's flat a few months ago.

“He lived here for more than 35 years and he seemed to fall apart after his mother died,” she said.

“In the last couple of months he seemed to have cleaned himself up a bit, but he should have been in a home, and that is the council's responsibility.”

A statement from the council confirmed social services and care workers were in regular contact with Mr Wayne, and staff respected his wishes by not rehousing him.

It added: “Mr Wayne had chosen to stay in his own home, however care officers were visiting him twice each day.”