Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service have praised the staff of a local care home for their ‘selfless and professional actions’ after firefighters from Tenby attended a blaze that had broken out at the premises during the early hours of Saturday morning.

Two fire engines from Tenby fire station were called out to the fire at Park House Court nursing home at 3.30 am on May 11, with firefighters leaving the premises located at Narberth Road almost an hour later.

The fire was confined to a room on the upper ground floor of the two-floor building.

15 residents were evacuated from the building by the staff members, whilst one resident was rescued from the room where the fire originated by a member of staff and treated for smoke inhalation. One member of staff was also treated for smoke inhalation.

Firefighters extinguished the fire using two breathing apparatus, one hose reel jets, a thermal imaging camera and a positive pressure ventilation fan.

The Police and Ambulance Service were also in attendance.

“The staff were fantastic - they stopped a fire becoming a fire fatality with their actions,” said on call crew manager at Tenby Fire Station Kristian Steele.

“This was due to good fire safety within the building, good training, good fire safety management and the quick thinking of an individual member of the care team”?added Kristian, who is also the Fire Safety’s watch manager.

The efforts of the staff at the care facility and the emergency services have also been praised by the daughter of one of the home’s residents.

“I would like to highlight the exceptional response and kindness shown by all of the staff at Park House and the emergency services,” Libby John of Saundersfoot told the Observer.

“As the daughter of a Park House resident, I have always found comfort in the outstanding care and support shown to my mother and me by every team member at Park House.

“This was further reinforced last weekend when hearing about the outbreak of the fire and the quick response from the night staff.

“Without question, the selfless and professional actions of each staff member are the reason everyone is safe and well.

“They deserve all of the credit and thanks from everyone in the community. I am sincerely grateful to them all,” she added.

Station Manager Craig Thomas commented: “I must commend the staff at the residential care home for their quick and decisive actions.

“The training that had been provided to the staff, in the event of a fire, and the actions for evacuation had clearly been understood and practised. They have prevented the loss of life and the spread of the fire.”