Doggy Rescuer "Smokey" is Revealed to be Lady Named Missy Moo
Terrier Cross who alerted owners to Stanlake Road fire is "absolutely a hero"
The dog nicknamed "Smokey" by London Fire Brigade after a dramatic fire rescue in Stanlake Road in Shepherd's Bush is actually a female with the rather more glamorous name of Missy Moo.
Missy Moo, a four year-old Terrier Cross, woke her owners, Rob Jameson, 40, his girlfriend Anastazja Duda, 29, and flatmate Tim Hughes, 42, by barking as thick black floor filled their ground floor flat.
His alert led to eight people being rescued from the building, a house converted into separate flats, early on Monday November 17.
Rob, who manages the Portobello Gold pub in Portobello Road, told the Evening Standard: "I cannot be certain we would be here today if it wasn’t for Moo.
" My girlfriend woke up and realised there was a problem because Moo was barking and smoke was coming into the room.
" If Moo wasn’t there, it could have spread into the other flats and the whole building may have gone up in flames. She is absolutely a hero."
Tim, who is a web producer, said Missy Moo
"deserves a medal" and added: " She’s the best flatmate I’ve ever had."
Both men also praised London Fire Brigade for arriving within two minutes of the 999 call and urged other Londoners to make sure they install working smoke alarms.
The Fire Brigade say they were called at 3.55am and fire engines from Kensington, Hammersmith and North Kensington fire stations fought the blaze for almost an hours before getting it under control at 4.46am.
During this time, a woman was rescued from a second floor flat roof, four women were rescued from a first floor window and two men and a woman were rescued from a flat on the ground floor.
The Brigade’s control officers gave vital fire survival guidance over the phone to the ground floor occupants who were trapped in their flat by fire. The 999 call handlers stayed on the phone until firefighters in breathing apparatus arrived.
Watch Manager John Bishop who was the first fire officer at the scene, said: " On arrival there was a lot of smoke pouring out from the property and as control officers had informed me people were still inside the building I quickly committed a rescue team in breathing apparatus and requested further fire engines to help with the rescuing of several people on the upper floors and roof who were calling for help."
Station Manager Nic Myatt said: "The firefighters' hard work and quick thinking saved the lives of those they rescued."
All eight people were treated at the scene by the London Ambulance Service.
Part of the four roomed flat on the ground floor was badly damaged by the fire. London Fire Brigade say the cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Brigade add that the residents of the ground floor flat – where the fire started – were lucky their dog alerted them to the fire as a smoke alarm fitted in the property had no battery in it and did not sound.
And they tweeted @londonfire: " You'd be barking mad not to have a battery in your smoke alarm like at the flat in #ShepherdsBush. Make sure yours has one fitted."
November 20, 2014