A QUICK thinking off-duty Chorley firefighter, who dashed to the rescue of a woman trapped by a blaze in her house, was honoured this week.

Brave Mark Lamb was only six weeks out of training when he swung into action to help save the neighbour.

Mark, who lived nearby, was alerted to the fire in Derwent Road, on Friday, February 6, by neighbours and discovered the trapped woman at an upstairs window.

Recognising that he needed time to make a full rescue easier when fire crews arrived, he decided to make his way into the house to reach her.

His training prompted him to kick out a lower panel in the front door so he could get into the hallway below the smoke layer and heat he knew would have built up towards ceiling level.

And crouching low to dodge the hot, toxic gases and shutting the door on the site of the fire in a downstairs room to reduce the spread of heat and fumes as he went upstairs, he soon reached the woman and stayed with her until fire crews arrived to complete the rescue.

Lancashire's chief fire officer Gordon Russel presented Mark with a certificate of commendation "in recognition of his initiative, compassion and professional skill" in his part in the rescue at Skelmersdale fire station on Monday evening.

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