Four people were rescued from a house fire in Husbandman Close, Shipston on Stour, at the weekend. Two are in hospital with serious injuries, the MP says.

Four people were rescued from a house fire in Husbandman Close, Shipston on Stour, at the weekend, and two of them are being treated for serious injuries at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, according to the office of Stratford-on-Avon MP Manuela Perteghella. No one died.

Ms Perteghella has thanked the firefighters, first responders, police and hospital staff involved, and says she will press Warwickshire County Council again over fire cover and response times around Shipston.

What happened

The details come from a statement the MP’s office sent to Stratford Avon News on 10 November. It says four people were rescued from the property. Two are in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital with serious injuries; the other two were able to self-discharge at the scene.

The statement does not say when on the weekend the fire started, how it began, how many crews attended or where they came from. We will add Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service’s account if it publishes one.

What the MP said

“I want to put on record my thanks to the firefighters and the other frontline services who came on the scene at the weekend. Their actions saved lives. Their courage and expertise in tackling these emergency situations is something we can all be thankful for. They look after us all.

“My thanks extend to the Shipston first responders, police, doctors, nurses and staff caring for the people that were injured in the fire. Their swift action on the scene will have made all the difference.

“My heart goes out to the people that were caught up in this fire. I hope those that were able to self-discharge at the scene are both well, and I hope very much that the two people that are receiving hospital treatment can make a full recovery.”

Fire cover around Shipston

Shipston fire station with a fire engine parked outside
Shipston fire station. Photo: Shipston Fire Station by Mike Faherty (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons

The MP used the statement to return to a concern she has raised before: how quickly a fire engine can reach the south of the district.

“Fire cover is not a luxury; it is a lifeline. A fire, a road traffic accident, flooding, or a medical emergency does not wait for a unit to travel from miles away. Response times matter. Lives depend on them.

“I have requested a meeting again with the Chief Fire Officer and will raise my concerns once again with Warwickshire County Council about fire cover and response times in my constituency, especially around Shipston.”

Warwickshire County Council runs the fire and rescue service. The statement does not give response times for the weekend’s call, and it does not say what change in cover she wants.

A group of firefighters, most in fire tunics and visitor passes, inside the Palace of Westminster
Firefighters at the Palace of Westminster for a union protest about wildfires. Photo: supplied by the office of Manuela Perteghella MP

What it means for you

Nothing has changed in Shipston’s fire cover. The MP is asking for a meeting with the Chief Fire Officer, and we will report what comes of it. If you want to raise fire cover with her yourself, her constituency office is on 01789 453077 (Monday, Thursday and Friday), and her updates are at manuela.uk.

Earlier this week Ms Perteghella also gave the Prime Minister until 31 December on a water plan.