Barking dogs are blaze 'heroes'

Thirteen fire engines were called to quell the blaze in the street

An off-duty firefighter has described how his four dogs helped save his family from a blaze next door.

Rhodri Davies, 31, found the animals barking in the back garden early on Boxing Day and then saw smoke billowing from his neighbour's terraced home.

Thirteen fire appliances dealt with the blaze in High Street, Rhymney in Caerphilly county, south Wales.

Police said a man, believed to be in his mid-20s, had been taken to hospital with burns.

An investigation into the cause of the blaze, which had spread to adjacent buildings, is continuing. Fire crews were alerted shortly after 0400 GMT.

Mr Davies said his dogs were vital to his family escaping the fire unharmed.

At least we had Christmas Day. You have got to look on the bright side. My family is all right and that's the most important thing to me Rhodri Davies

He said: "The dogs are heroes in my eyes. We were all sleeping.

"I keep dogs out the back and when they were barking I went out to hear and I noticed the fire next door in the conservatory.

Mr Davies said he ran back inside to rescue his partner, Kate Gray, 28, and their 20-month-old son Alex.

After this, he went next door to help his neighbour.

Mr Davies said: "He was already out of the building. When I got out the front he was trying to get back in but I stopped him.

'No roof'

Alex's Christmas presents, which had been stored upstairs, were destroyed in the blaze and the family were spending the remainder of the Christmas holiday with Ms Gray's mother.

Mr Davies said: "We can't live in there at the moment. There's no electricity and no roof.

"The fire service did a great job in stopping it going all the way through the house.

"They don't know where it started. His (Mr Williams') house is completely gutted. I have just got some damage upstairs and some smoke damage.

"At least we had Christmas Day. You have got to look on the bright side. My family is all right and that's the most important thing to me."

A South Wales Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said: "The incident is still open and we will be inspecting it periodically."

The ambulance service has said they took the injured man to Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil.