This week 30 years ago: Have-a-go firefigher fails disastrously in Archway blaze

A man’s attempt to fight a fire in his room went disastrously wrong as five people were forced to jump out of a window.

The man, of Cressida Road, Archway, woke to find his mattress alight. He doused the flames with water and threw the mattress out of his window, before going back to bed.

An hour later, he awoke again to find the entire room and first floor on fire. Five occupants of the house were forced to jump from a window, with another mattress thrown out to break the fall.

The house was ruined as firefighters could not save it from severe structural damage.

A spokesman said: “Call the fire brigade.”