ARSONISTS are being blamed for a fire in Shoreham which could have cost a deaf man his life.
At 10.40pm on Saturday, July 4, firefighters were called to a blaze in a first floor flat at Aston House, in Freehold Street, Shoreham.
The fire, which started in the hallway, was out by the time firefighters arrived but the flat was full of smoke.
The elderly man who lived there, who had two hearing aids, had to be led to safety by firefighters and treated for smoke inhalation.
Firefighter Dave King said if a specialist fire alarm hadn't recently been installed the man, who was asleep in his bed at the time of the attack, would probably have died.
"This time last year we visited the block to raise awareness of fire safety," said Mr King.
"This man had hearing aids and couldn't hear the fire alarm he had so we installed the deaf alarm – if it wasn't for that he wouldn't have been able to hear the alarm.
"It probably saved his life."
The fire is under investigation.
For the full story see this week's Shoreham Herald, out Thursday, July 9.-------------------------------------
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