THREE friends have told of how they battled through thick smoke to rescue a woman from her burning home.

Without thinking of their own safety, the trio ran into the block of flats in Southampton after seeing thick smoke billowing from a window.

Using their clothes to cover their faces the men searched the building for anyone left inside and also help lead the woman whose flat was on fire to safety.

Nathaniel Wreford, Jake Rodwell and Steve Slaymaker were on their way into the estate in Northam when they noticed smoke billowing from the block of maisonettes.

Without a second thought they ran into Shannon House, alerting residents to the fire and helping them escape despite at times being unable to see clearly through the smoke.

Speaking to the Daily Echo Nathaniel, 18, described heading to the top floors of the block to alert residents to the fire, while Jake helped residents get their pets out. Steve told of how he helped the woman whose flat was on fire get out of the building.

Steve, 25, an industrial cleaner from Thornhill said: “She was very hysterical. I just made sure she was got out of the building ok. She walked down the stairs herself and then her neighbours were calming her down outside.”

Jake, 32, said: “We turned the corner and saw the smoke and just dropped everything and ran up the stairs. She was screaming and saying ‘my bedroom’ so I dragged her away from the flat. She was just by the front door. She was a nervous wreck.

“I couldn’t see anything in there. There was just so much smoke. Then Nathaniel got everyone out from the top floor. It was pretty horrific.”

Nathaniel added: “I was knocking on everyone’s door and alerting everybody. There was one woman who said hang on I’m getting changed but I said just get out. I had my t shirt over my nose so I didn’t breathe any smoke in.”

Playing down their heroics, Steve said: “You have just got to stay calm in those sorts of situations. We just knew we had to help get people out.”

The woman in whose flat the fire started was taken to hospital with smoke inhalation. A passer-by was also thought to have suffered smoke inhalation.

Watch manager Nigel Cooper from St Mary’s fire station described the fire as ‘severe’ and said the cause of the fire, which broke out in a bedroom, was under investigation.

He described how firefighters used state of the art equipment to help tackle the blaze. He said:“Eight firefighters went in the building and it took about half an hour to put out.

“They were very tough conditions.

“We used a new technology called ultra high pressure lance which creates very fine droplets that can dilute the fire gasses. It’s the first engine in the fleet to have this.”