A MAN has been airlifted to hospital after firefighters rescued him from a burning ground-floor flat in Darlington on Monday evening.
Emergency services, including the police and County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, and Great North Air Ambulance were called to Wilshire Place at 4.45pm.
CDDFRS group manager Phil Innis said: "We received reports of a fire at Wilshire Place, in Tom Raine Court, Darlington.
"We sent three appliances, because at that time we thought there may be someone trapped within the building.
"Shortly after arrival firefighters wearing breathing apparatus rescued one adult male from the ground floor flat.
"On arrival the incident commander requested another appliance so that we had a total of four appliances there, because the fire was quite well developed.
"It was a significant fire and the adult male was transported to hospital with burns and smoke inhalation."
He added the flat had been extensively damaged.
Mr Innis said the cause of the fire had yet to be determined and a joint investigation will be carried out with Durham Police. "
A spokesperson for the North East Ambulance Service said: "we were called at 16.42 to reports of a fire at a private address on Wiltshire Place. "We sent two ambulances, an officer and requested support from GNAAS. One patient was taken to the RVI by air and three further patients were treated at the scene."
A spokesperson for the Great North Air Ambulance said: "We flew to Darlington following reports of people injured in fire.
"One person was airlifted to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle."
CDDFRS has urged people to go online at https://www.ddfire.gov.uk and request a safety and well-being visit. Firefighters will give advice, along with free smoke detectors.
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