Two firefighters killed in flats fire.

Two firefighters have been killed while tackling a fire at a high-rise block of flats in Southampton.
James Shears, 35, and Alan Bannon, 38, died at the 15-storey Shirley Towers in Church Street where fire broke out just after 2000 BST on Tuesday.  A further two firefighters suffered minor burns to their hands. The cause of the fire is, at present, unknown.

Chief fire officer John Bonney of Hampshire Fire and rescues Service told a press conference: “We are devastated by the loss of our colleagues who died in the line of duty.  He added: “At this stage it is not appropriate to speculate around circumstances relating to this incident.”

Residents were evacuated successfully from the building, one of Southampton’s tallest, and were provided with emergency accommodation by the city council.

Communities Secretary John Denham said: “Our thoughts and condolences are with the families of the two firefighters who have tragically lost their lives in the fire in Southampton. “The incident brings home to us the professionalism and dedication of the men and women working in our fire and rescue services and of the debt of gratitude we owe them.”

Mr Denham added that he had asked Sir Ken Knight, the government’s chief fire and rescue adviser, to keep him updated on the joint police and fire service investigation into the cause of the fire, which is believed to have been on the seventh floor.