Neighbours have paid tribute to a ‘kind lovely man’ who died in a house fire in west London while his brother was saved from the smoke-filled property by locals.
The two brothers, named locally as John and Patrick O’Reardon, were at their terraced home in Humes Avenue, Hanwell, on Sunday morning when the blaze broke out.
Three fire engines and 15 firefighters were called to the scene shortly after 5.30am and found the ground floor alight.
Neighbours said one of the brothers, John, managed to be rescued by a lady who lived next door. Despite her efforts, Patrick was not able to be saved.
London Fire Brigade confirmed one of the brothers had left the building before the Brigade arrived and was taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews. The second was pronounced dead at the scene.
Nyarai Gondo, who lives next door, described how she shepherded John to safety after he tried to go back into the smoke-clogged property to save his brother.
She told Metro: ‘We saw smoke coming from the house and one of the brothers alerted a neighbour who called the emergency services.
‘He then went back in to look for his brother he was very distressed. I went into the house to get him there was too much smoke. I took him outside and sat him down, it was heartbreaking.
‘They are brothers who live there. They are pensioners the man who died was about to be 80 I think.’
She added: ‘Patrick was a lovely kind man. A real gentleman. We always used to chat, he was just the nicest neighbour you could wish for.’
A local who lives opposite the scene of the blaze described Nyarai and another man who tried to save them as a ‘hero’.
He told Metro: ‘She was a hero. Without her a second person may have died. We are a close community here, proper pitch in to help one another.’
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A second said: ‘Two of our neighbours were helping the man who was very distressed because his brother was still inside. They were fantastic under pressure.’
Another neighbour said: ‘We are gutted he was a cheerful nice man. It’s terrible end and so sad. There was loads of smoke it must have been toxic in there.’
A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: ‘Sadly a man has died following a house fire in Humes Avenue in Hanwell. Part of the ground floor of the terraced house was damaged by fire.
‘One man left the building before the fire brigade arrived at the building before the brigade arrived and was taken to hospital by ambulance crews. Sadly another died at the scene.
‘The brigade was called at 05.32 and the incident was over by 05.53. Fifteen firefighters from Ealing and Southall stations attended the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the bridge and Metropolitan Police.’
Another neighbour added: ‘The family have lived here years. He was a kind well lived member of the community. We are gutted.’
An investigation has been launched by specialist fire investigators into the cause of the deadly fire. The Metropolitan Police are also involved in the inquiry.
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