Fire brigade comes to children’s rescue after Christmas blaze

FIRE officers came to the rescue in more ways than one when they saved a young mother of three from a house fire in Tallaght, Co Dublin, and then arranged for Santa to visit her children in hospital to replace presents destroyed in the Christmas Day blaze.

Despite a raging fire that gutted her house, Vivienne Kellet, aged 28, passed her children Ellen, 10, Thomas, 3, and Eric, six months, through a tiny upstairs window into the arms of waiting neighbours, before being rescued herself.

The mother and her children are today recovering in hospital. Vivienne, who suffered minor burns, was moved from Intensive Care yesterday and is recovering well while the children are set to be discharged from hospital shortly.

According to Tallaght fire station chief, Alan Dillon, a smoke alarm and the mother’s quick thinking prevented what could have been a terrible tragedy. “I have absolutely no doubt that the smoke alarm saved this family. We could have been dealing with a tragic outcome otherwise,” he said. “Also the mother had the presence of mind to ring the fire brigade immediately.”

Wearing only boxer shorts, neighbour Robert Finn climbed a small extension at the back of the house to reach a tiny window behind which Ms Kellet had gathered her children. He grabbed each one and passed them to other brothers David and Raymond Fitzgerald and their parents, John and Carmel, who had been alerted by the smoke alarm.

Neighbour David Fitzgerald described the dramatic rescue. “It was horrible,” he said yesterday, speaking on RTÉ radio news. “There was smoke everywhere and the children were on the extension at the back of the roof and in shock.”

Once the children were in Tallaght Hospital, the fire brigade ensured Santa did not forget them. Fire chief Mr Dillon said: “The children’s presents were destroyed in the living room but my colleagues had a collection and Santa visited them in the hospital.”