Off-duty rescuer
AN off-duty Exmouth firefighter has been praised by his boss for his professionalism in rescuing a woman from her burning home.
AN off-duty Exmouth firefighter has been praised by his boss for his professionalism in rescuing a woman from her burning home.
Firefighter Steve Causley, 41, had a day off work and was driving along Dinan Way on Saturday when plumes of thick, black, smoke prompted him to investigate.
Tracing the smoke to Warneford Gardens, it was then he noticed a group of neighbours desperately trying to help a woman with two walking sticks escape a blaze which had engulfed her home.
Dad-of-three Steve helped lead the woman to safety after he and neighbours made a hole in her hedge and pulled her through.
Once she was away from the flames, the selfless firefighter arranged with neighbours to move their cars to allow the fire engines to get through.
Mr Causley said: "When I got there the neighbours were trying to pull an elderly lady through a gap in the hedge.
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"I was worried there was going to be a big explosion so I just made sure she got through quickly.
"The neighbours had done a good job kicking the hedge away. "They had done all the hard work by the time I got there."
Exmouth fire station group manager Mike White praised Mr Causley's efforts.
It's absolutely fantastic. He did a superb job," said Mr White. "He's quite modest about it. His professionalism came through, even though he was off duty.
