A COUPLE have hailed their grandson a hero after he helped them escape a fire.

Richard and Susan Broom of Corsham were at their Orchard Road home when they smelled fire.

Grandson Rich Jones went to investigate.

He said if it had been left for five minutes longer, lives could have been lost.

“I smelled burning and got up,” said Rich, 26.

“My grandad and me went outside and the garage was well alight and was just catching fire to the house. I went back and got my granny out and we called the fire brigade.”

The garage was destroyed but the flames had begun to catch the eaves alight threatening the roof.

“They could have been gonners,” said Rich, “another few minutes and the whole house would have gone up.”

Mrs Broom was shocked by the experience. She said: “I’ve lost so much, furniture I kept in there and the toys for the grandchildren and my garden swing seat.

“Rich was a godsend. I don’t know what we’d have done without him.

“He is a hero.”

It took the fire service until dawn to completely put the fire out said Mr Broom.

“Fair play to the fire brigade,” said Mr Broom, “they did a brilliant job.

“We’ve lost all our freezers, all my power tools and fishing gear, lawn mower and the power charger for my wife’s wheel chair.”

Neighbours and a local taxi driver alerted the fire brigade who arrived a few minutes after the initial call around 11.45pm on Friday, June 21.

Crews from Corsham and Chippenham worked to contain the blaze.

A fire spokesman said: “It was a fantastic effort by crews to prevent this garage fire spreading to the adjoining house.”

But the telephone wires was torched and the Broom’s home lost electricity and the eaves and guttering was burnt.

Mr Jones who had been staying the night with his grand parents said it could have been so much worse.