Mother and baby 'run for lives' from Enfield fire (From This Is Local London)

Mother and baby 'run for lives' from Enfield fire

12:53pm Wednesday 25th November 2009 in

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A YOUNG mother and her baby daughter "looked death in the face" as they fled their Enfield flat this morning after a massive blaze broke out next door.

The 22-year-old, who did not want to be named, rushed out of her first-floor apartment, in Bowes Road, at around 3am after neighbours bashed on her door, shouting "fire!".

No smoke or fire alarms had alerted her to the fire, which gutted the two shops below and the two flats beside and above hers.

The woman, who was placed in the flat by Brent Council four days ago, said: "The first I knew about it was when the couple next door started banging on my door and screaming at me to get out.

"As soon as I opened the door, clouds of thick black smoke hit me and I just grabbed my daughter and ran.

"I could feel hot fire at my ankles and couldn't breathe or see anything at all. The flat next to mine was absolutely covered in flames.

"I felt like we were running for our life. I knew I had only minutes to get out.

"I kept inhaling smoke every time I opened my mouth. I thought we were going to die. Me and my girl were literally looking death in the face. It was the most petrifying thing.

"I can still smell smoke on my daughter's clothes. It was terrifying."

Six fire engines and around 30 firefighters were called out to the blaze, which destroyed "Sculptured Hair" and "Blade" hairdressers and the two flats directly above them on the first and second storeys.

The fire, which was under control by 5.40am, also badly damaged the building’s staircase leading from the ground to the second floor and roof.

Along with the mother and child, a couple and another man are believed to have left the building before the fire brigade arrived. Two were treated for smoke inhalation by London Ambulance Service crews.

Twelve more people were evacuated by firefighters from the adjoining premises as a precaution.

Nuala Mills, 35, who was staying with the couple who live directly above the shop, says she lost "all her belongings" in the fire. She was not home when it broke out, but was staying with friends nearby.

She said: "Everything I own was in that house - my clothes, my money, my ID, everything.

"It was probably worth about £400, which is everything to me. I only get £90 a fortnight in benefits, so I don't know what I am going to do.

"I'm so frightened. I've lost everything."

Demetris Papacharalambous, 44, owns Arnos Cafe Restaurant and the flats above, two doors away from the hairdressers. He arrived at 3.30am to check on his tenants and found the air thick with smoke.

He said: "All the roads were closed and the police were blocking the pavement, so I couldn't get too close, but I could see about six fire engines and about 20 or 30 policemen.

"There were a lot of firemen inside the building and I could see flames dropping down from the windows, but I couldn't get very near because of the smoke.

"The whole neighbourhood seemed to have come out to have a look."

The cause of the fire is under investigation.