Dramatic moment trapped man battles ’20-foot’ flames engulfing tower block

Dramatic footage shows ’20-foot’ flames creeping towards a man trapped on a buring building as a crane operator battles through billowing black smoke to winch him to safety.

Two people were taken to hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation after the huge blaze broke out at the Station Hill development site in Reading on Thursday (November 23).

The video shows the man who was trapped on the roof being lifted to safety by a crane, before relieved crowds below broke out in applause.

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service said it received reports of the blaze near Napier Road at 11.38am.

A “heroic” man credited with saving the worker trapped on top of the high rise building has said it was not an “average day” at work.

Hundreds of builders and office workers from surrounding buildings were evacuated as firefighters battled against the fire.

One witness said the rescued man had a lucky escape after the crane driver carefully manouevred a cage into position to winch him to safety.

The carpenter who was working nearby said onlookers clapped as the man clambered into the metal basket attached to the crane as it was carried away from the raging fire.

The witness, who did not want to be named, said: “I was in the next door building. There was a guy standing up there (on top of the building). Luckily, the crane came in just in time.

“He was coughing [when he came down], from the smoke, you know what I mean. When he got inside the crane and the crane put him down everyone was clapping.

“The crane driver was very fast. He was still in the crane while the building was on fire.”

Construction workers hailed the “heroic” actions of the crane driver. Several site workers named Glen Edwards as the crane operator responsible for saving the trapped man with the cage.

Mr Edwards, a crane operator with 30 years experience, told Berkshire Live it had “not been your average day at work”.

He said: “I was driving the crane at the time. I saw someone waving his coat. I got a radio call to get the man riser. I was being (supervised) from the ground.”

Glen, from Egham, said moving the cage was incredibly difficult because of the thick, black smoke covering the upper floors of the site.

He added: “I knew the person was at that level. But the wind was blowing the cage about.

“I was just waiting for the smoke to clear. I could see I was putting it down in the flames. The banksman (supervisor) told me when he was in.”

Another construction worker, who asked not to be named, said Glen was “a bit of hero” for his actions under pressure.

The worker said: “If he had been any longer, it would have been a very different ending.”

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service said it received reports of the blaze near Napier Road at 11.38am.

It said: “A number of our crews are currently on the scene. While emergency services work, we ask that people avoid the area where possible and close windows and doors if you live or work nearby.”

A South Central Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “I can confirm we’ve taken two people to the Royal Berkshire Hospital for further assessment and treatment for smoke inhalation, neither of whom were severe cases.

“We are now on stand-by supporting the fire service (which is a standard operational procedure when they are working at height and at scale).

“We have our hazardous area response team, an ambulance, the Thames Valley Air Ambulance critical care car, an operational commander, a tactical adviser and a tactical commander at the scene.”

Redwood Consulting, on behalf of Station Hill, said: “We activated our fire emergency plans immediately, the emergency services were notified and are currently on site.

“The safety of those on site and the wider public is always our first priority, and the site has been evacuated as a result.”

Thames Valley Police officers are at the scene and road closures are in place from Forbury roundabout to Forbury Road, Friar Street and Friar West.

The force added: “We are working to allow access for residents to premises that have not been affected by the fire, and to the hotels.

“If you live in the surrounding area, please keep windows closed and stay indoors.”

The £750 million Station Hill development is intended to be a business and living quarter for the town.