Shirley Towers fire claims lives of two firefighters

The men, James Shears and Alan Bannon, died while fighting the blaze on the seventh floor of a block called Shirley Towers.

Mr Shears, 35, a dad of two from Oakdale, Poole, had been with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service for seven years. His colleague, Mr Bannon, 38, had been a firefighter for Hampshire for eight-and-a-half years.

Both men were stationed at St Mary’s fire station in the city centre.

Two more firefighters were injured during the blaze that broke out just after 8pm, yesterday. (Apr 6) The cause of the fire is under investigation, but not thought to be suspicious.

A pregnant woman was among those evacuated from Shirley Towers after the blaze broke out on the seventh floor.

She was taken to hospital but it is understood no other residents were hurt.

Dorset Fire and Rescue Service chief officer Darran Gunter has written to Hampshire fire chief John Bonney, “to pass on our deepest condolences at the sad loss of two of our colleagues in Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service.”

He stressed: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and loved ones and everyone in Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service.”

Firefighters took around four hours to tackle the blaze, which started in a double-storey two-bedroom maisonette at around 8.10pm.

Some residents living on floors above the fire were evacuated from the 15-storey building. People whose flats are in unaffected parts of the building were told to stay where they were throughout.

Firefighters tackled the flames from both inside and outside the tower block, with 36 using breathing apparatus. An aerial ladder, four jets and positive pressure to remove smoke from the building were also used in the operation.

Dorset Fire and Rescue is no stranger to tragedy – two retained firefighters died in Christchurch during the 1987 hurricane.

Last month, firefighters staged a mock emergency at a Poole tower block in a bid to hone their high-rise rescue techniques.