Perth neighbour tells of moment he woke residents as fire tore through city homes

A Perth man insists he is not a “hero” after waking residents to alert them as a fire tore through homes in the city.

Locals praised Mitch Taylor, 56, after he raised the alarm when the property went up in flames on James Street on Monday morning.

Mitch spotted the smoke from his Canal Street home before heading for a closer look.

The factory worker told The Courier: “I actually stay a few yards away from where the fire took place.

“I get a good view across the rooftops and I wanted to make sure what I saw was a real fire and not somebody’s bonfire or something.

“It was about 5.40am. I went down and saw that the roof was smoking at that stage – the fire was taking hold at the back.

“I obviously phoned the emergency services, but another guy in a car told me he had already phoned them and then drove off.

“It was scary how peaceful it was.

“It was silent. I saw cars and joggers going past that hadn’t even noticed it.

Fire took hold ‘silently’

“It just seemed like a peaceful morning, but you could hear little pieces of glass starting to break from the heat, a little bit of crackling and popping going on.

“It’s very scary how these fires can just take a hold so silently.

“That’s what struck me.”

Mitch then banged on the door of the burning property before alerting neighbours.

One woman came out of the home that was on fire along with five others in the house next door.

Mitch said: “People were really tired and confused.

“It took me a while before I realised that the people I was speaking to didn’t own the whole house, there were people living upstairs as well.

“That’s where the fire was.

“I went up the stairwell and started banging on the two doors there.”

Man ‘sound asleep’ in burning building

While one of the flats upstairs was empty, the other was home to a man who was still asleep.

Mitch was forced to enter the property and wake him up.

He said: “I was trying to wake the guy up but he was sound asleep.

“I was trying to get across the urgency that the house could be about to collapse.

“It sounds very brave, but it wasn’t as if I was battling through smoke and flames, it was more dripping through the roof.

“I was aware that if we took too long it could be more hazardous getting back.

“I was a bit worried because there was another door that I couldn’t get a reply on, but it turns out it was empty.”

‘I don’t think I would call me a hero’

Mitch has been hailed as a hero for his actions.

James Street resident Carol Wimbury said: “He banged on the door and shouted ‘fire’.

“He did the same for a lot of houses and saved all our lives.

“He’s a local hero and without him, who knows what would’ve happened?”

Anyone would’ve done what I did – it’s just normal behaviour

But Mitch insists he was only doing what any other passer-by would have done.

He added: “Once you realise there’s still people inside you just go for it, I suppose.

“I didn’t exactly carry anyone out in a fireman’s lift, I just banged on some doors.

“I don’t think I would call me a hero. Anyone would’ve done what I did – it’s just normal behaviour.”