Nurses rescue OAP as fire rips through home

A CONFUSED 89-year-old man had thought the fire alarm sounding at his home in Caerphilly borough was coming from the television while his kitchen was ablaze.

- JONATHON HILL

Rhys Bevan, from Pontllanfraith, could have died had it not been for a huge stroke of luck when two district nurses came to do a routine check on the elderly man just in time.

When Paula Phillips and Karen Davies, both nurses with the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, arrived at Mr Bevan's home in Bryn Road at around 9.30pm on the evening of Wednesday, June 12, they found the kitchen was on fire and realised it was coming from a burning chip pan.

While the fire was growing Mr Bevan was sitting in his armchair in the lounge oblivious to what was happening. Mr Bevan, who is now recovering, later told the nurses he had been unaware of the fire and believed the alarm was coming from the TV he was watching.