Hastings residential fire sparks large emergency response as one person rescued in 'serious incident'

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service issued a statement on social media at 4am, reporting its attendance at a fire on Milward Road and asked people to ‘please avoid the area’.

The service said six fire engines from Hastings, Bexhill and Battle were initially sent to the scene, along with the aerial ladder platform following the incident just after 3am. Crews were using breathing apparatus, two hose reels and two main jets.

At 5am, the fire service said two further crews were in attendance at the four-floor building, made up of flats. A spokesperson said: “Crews are now damping down and will be at the scene for some considerable time.

"All persons accounted for with one casualty reported, now in care of the ambulance. Please continue to avoid the area.”

The fire service has since revealed that the fire was in the basement flat.

Incident Commander and Group Manager Matt Elder: “This was a serious incident. Fires in basements are always difficult to tackle and our crews worked hard to carry out a rescue.

"We’d like to thank Sussex Police and South East Coast Ambulance for their support. We urge everyone to check they have working smoke alarms and other detection systems in place to give you the early warning of any fires.”

A reinspection of the scene is taking place this morning and ‘will be followed by a fire investigation’.

The fire service said local crews will be in the area offering home safety visits over the coming days. You can also book a visit online at www.esfrs.org/hsv or by calling 0800 177 7069.

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