March 4, 2022 12.41 pm This story is over 38 months old

Boy, 14, jumps through flames to save elderly man from fire in Lincolnshire village

Oil spill from AGA caused the fire

The fire caused severe damage to the kitchen and smoke damage to the rest of the house. | Photo: Submitted

The quick-thinking actions of an heroic teenager from Blyton helped to save the life of an elderly man in after a fire spread in his kitchen.

Fire crews attended a property, known locally as the old vicarage, on High Street in Blyton at around 4.30pm on Thursday, March 3. The fire caused severe damage to the kitchen and smoke damage to the rest of the house.

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue said: “The fire was caused when an oil fuelled AGA was being repaired. Oil had leaked on to kitchen floor and when the AGA was turned on it caught fire and spread to the oil spill.”

The heroics of 14-year-old Charlie Wilkinson have already been praised locally and his dad, Akka, says he is very proud of what his son did.

Akka told The Lincolnite: “Charlie and his friends were walking up the public footpath in front of the old vicarage when he saw a fire in the back room, so he went for a closer look.

“He could see Noel [the elderly man] inside and jumped in through the flames to pull him out. Noel was dazed, but he got him out safely and into the ice cream parlour next door before the emergency services turned up.

“It has surprised me as he’s only 14. He did it out of instinct to save the him. We are all very proud of him, and glad Charlie and Noel are okay.”

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue added: “The crews administered oxygen to one elderly man who was out of the property on arrival.”